§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the practice of some hospitals of restricting prescriptions made up in their own dispensaries to two weeks for out-patients and of requiring them to get further prescriptions from their general practitioner is in accordance with his policy on dispensing; and what is the relative cost of prescriptions dispensed in hospitals compared with those dispensed through a pharmacist.
§ Sir George YoungHealth authorities were reminded last year of guidance to the effect that the duty of prescribing for out-patients rests with the doctor who at the time has the clinical responsibility for the patient's treatment. I regret that the available information about hospital prescribing and dispensing costs is not on a basis which would allow a valid comparison to be made with those in retail pharmacy services.