HC Deb 06 July 1983 vol 45 c131W
Mr. Foulkes

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what, for the period 1977 to 1982, was the total amount of moneys recovered from (a) retail pharmacists for discount and drug costs, retention from the global sum and from the Franks panel award, (b) pharmaceutical manufacturers under the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme and (c) dispensing doctors for discount on drug costs.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

The information, covering the financial years 1977–78 to 1982–83 is as follows

  1. (a) (i) Amounts recovered for discount on drug costs from retail pharmacists was £121.4 million. No discount adjustment was made between 1 October 1978 and 28 February 1979 to repay chemists for earlier over-deductions.
  2. (ii) £15 million was retained from the global sum due to pharmacists pending the results of the current discount enquiry.
  3. (iii) Following the Franks panel award discount due from pharmacists was set off against profit due of about £42 million.
(b) The value of excess profits recovered from pharmaceutical manufactureres in the United Kingdom under the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme was £11.776 million. (c) Reimbursement of the cost of drugs to dispensing doctors is not subject to a discount adjustment.