Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what amount of dexamethasone (a) has been ordered in 2020 and (b) purchased in each of the last five years.

The information is not available in the format requested.

The Government has taken action to secure supply of dexamethasone in the United Kingdom, buying additional stocks ahead of time in the event of a positive trial outcome. These stocks have been procured centrally in addition to the business as usual stocks purchased regularly by National Health Service organisations. There is enough treatment for over 200,000 people from this stockpile alone.

The NHS Business Services Authority publishes Prescription Cost Analysis data covering prescriptions dispensed in the community in England at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/prescription-data/dispensing-data/prescription-cost-analysis-pca-data

Data for calendar years 2015-2019, and January to March 2020 is currently available.