HL Deb 03 February 1975 vol 356 cc657-8

3.4 p.m.

Baroness PHILLIPS

My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in her name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action it is proposed to take to impress upon doctors in the National Health Service the importance of avoiding the use of expensive proprietary drugs where there is an unbranded drug in the national formulary of an equivalent value.

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

My Lords, a policy of impressing upon doctors the importance of avoiding the prescribing of expensive proprietary drugs when suitable alternatives exist has been followed since the days of National Health Insurance and is still being prosecuted vigorously. It has been commended repeatedly, in particular by the Hinchliffe Committee on the Cost of Prescribing, in 1959. The Government have initiated a comprehensive review of the whole question of prescribing, notably the safety, quality and efficacy of existing medicinal products and have sought the advice of the Medicines Commission about the content and standard of advertisements of medicines and about the best ways of keeping doctors informed about medicines.

Baroness PHILLIPS

My Lords, may I thank the noble Lord for that very full reply, which I am sure will make my noble friend very happy.

Lord SEGAL

My Lords, could my noble friend say whether any sanctions are operative against those doctors who repeatedly transgress in this matter?

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

My Lords, I am not aware of any sanctions, but doctors whose prescriptions over the course of a year are found to be—and I am speaking entirely from memory—approximately 25 per cent, above the average for their district are seen by members of the medical profession on behalf of the Department at which time this increase is pointed out to them. There is a limit to the number of personal visits which can be made by the medical inspectors and, consequently, a large number of doctors receive letters. The outcome of this practice is found to be very satisfactory.