§ Mr. Mike Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many pharmacists received remuneration for National Health Service work in each year from 19(0 to the most recent year available to him.
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§ Sir George YoungI regret that the figures for 1960 and 1961 are not readily available. Remuneration for National Health Service dispensing work is paid in respect of each chemist establishment, the owner or manager of which is in contract with the family practitioner committee formerly executive council. The numbers of these establishments in England and Wales from 1962 to the most recent year available are as follows:
1962 13,024 1963 12,943 1964 12,848 1965 12,685 1966 12,520 1967 12,368 1968 12,132 1969 11,894 1970 11,479 1971 11,168 1972 10,897 1973 10,655 1974 10,398 1975 10,196 1976 9,968 1977 9,839 1978 9,735 Notes:
1. The figures shown for the years 1964 to 1978 represent establishments which undertook dispensing at some time during the year. The figures for 1962 and 1963 represent establishments on lists of executive councils at 31 December each year and include a small number of establishments which did not undertake any National Health Service dispensing during the year in question.
2. The figures do not, of course, include hospital pharmacists.
§ Mr. Mike Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the total gross profit earned by pharmacists on National Health Service dispensing in each year from 1960 to the year most recently available to him.
§ Sir George YoungI regret that information is not readily available before 1962. The estimated gross profit paid to general practice pharmacy contractors in England and Wales for National Health Service dispensing in each year from 1962 to the most recent year for which data are available is as follows:
£ millions 1962 25.0 1963 26.5 1964 29.4 1965 39.8 1966 42.8 1967 43.0 1968 42.0 1969 43.7 1970 47.8 1971 55.2 1972 61.5 1973 68.2 1974 74.3 1975 103.5 1976 118.7 1977 130.0 1978 147.8 1979 156.6 Notes:
(1) General practice pharmacy contractors are the owners or managers of pharmacies, drug stores and appliance contractors in contract with family practitioner committees for the dispensing of National Health Service prescriptions.
121W(2) Payments in respect of rota fees and rural subsidies are not included for the years 1962 to 1964.
(3) Gross profit is defined as the difference between total payments and the cost of drugs and containers.