§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the number of commercial travellers now employed by drug companies for the purpose of influencing medical practitioners to prescribe their products; and if information of this kind is part of the voluntary price regulation scheme.
§ Mr. MoyleThe number of representatives employed by pharmaceutical companies varies from company to company. The total number employed is not known, but expenditure on representatives forms part of sales promotion expenditure which is identified in annual financial returns and is subject to control under the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme. As my right hon. Friend announced in July 1976 the amount of sales promotion 449W expenditure accepted under the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme is being reduced annually until by 1979 it is brought down to 10 per cent. of the value of the industry's sales.