§ Mr. Michael Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice he intends to give to dispensing general practitioners in the period prior to the proposed implementation of a limited list on 1 April 1985 over their stocks of branded products.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 10 January 1985, at column539, which applies equally to dispensing doctors.
§ Mr. Michael Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consultations on his limited list proposals have been carried out with the psychiatric profession.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe medical profession as a whole was consulted through the British Medical Association. In addition, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has written to me and individual psychiatrists have responded to our Chief Medical Officer's invitation to send comments on the medicines which should remain available on the National Health Service. A consultant psychiatrist, Professor Malcolm Lader, who is professor of clinical psychopharmacology at the Institute of Psychiatry of the University of London is assisting our Chief Medical Officer in his appraisal of the professional and medical advice we have received on our provisional list.
§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he will make a statement on his recent meeting with the British Medical Association to discuss the proposed limited list of prescribable drugs;
(2) what proposals he has received from the British Medical Association advocating a recommended list of cheaper drugs, to be drawn up along the lines of hospital formularies, rather than his limited list proposals; and what response he has made.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeMy recent meeting with the British Medical Association clearly demonstrated that its representatives shared the Government's aim of encouraging economic prescribing. The association has not, however, submitted any specific proposals of the sort mentioned by my hon. Friend at any of the meetings I have had with it or its general medical services committee over the last three years.
§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consideration he is giving to specific problems for rural dispensing doctors by his proposals for a limited list of drugs; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI refer my hon. Friend to my replies to my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, South (Mr. Morris) on 5 December 1984 at column220 and on 9 January 1985 at column 496.
§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what provision he intends to make under his limited list proposals to ensure that patients terminally ill with cancer have a wider access to pain-killing drugs than aspirin or morphine; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeAs I have previously made clear, an adequate range of analgesics will remain available on NHS prescription.