the price of prescription medicines rose by more than ten percent in September.

John Tomlinson, president of BGA, said that statements by the Government statistical department that prescription medicines had risen by 14.2 percent had caused some upset.

He said that the increase was to do with the "basket of goods'' selected by officials to measure price increases, adding that their top 100 pharmaceutical products has fallen in price by two percent in the last year.

And he added that he believed the replacement of three of the pharmaceutical products in the "basket'' with new goods, had accounted for a hike of 11 percent, whereas without them the rise was only three percent.

In addition, he said new products placed in the sample were reviewed for price fluctuations over a three-month period, to account for any massive rises.

"We have a responsibility to provide drugs to the market and make every effort to be as competitive as we can,'' he said.