§ Mr. Gregoryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what saving to the National Health Service is generated each year from the discount applied to the calculation of ingredient costs of the medicines supplied on National Health Service prescriptions by chemist contractors; why similar savings are not made on the cost of medicines supplied on National Health Service prescriptions supplied by dispensing doctors; and if he will estimate the saving to the National Health Service if dispensing doctors were subject to the same discounting principle applied to chemist contractors;
(2) whether dispensing doctors enjoy similar wholesaler and/or supplier discounts to those given to, and recovered from, chemist contractors; and what is the average percentage figure that dispensing doctors receive in discounts.
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§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe discount withheld from chemists in 1982, the latest period for which figures are available, was £53.3 million (England only). That figure will now be subject to adjustment following the recently published results of an inquiry into chemists' discount levels.
As far as doctors are concerned, the Health Departments and the General Medical Services Committee of the British Medical Association are currently undertaking a joint exercise for the purpose of determining whether discounts are available to dispensing doctors, and if so how much. However, because of the system of remuneration of general medical practitioners any amount withheld from the remuneration of dispensing doctors because of discounts would need to be redistributed to the profession through fees and allowances to achieve the intended average net income. Consequently there would be no saving to the Exchequer.