Lord Winstanleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What advice or instructions they have given to pharmacists with regard to the dispensing of items prescribed on Forms F.P.10 for which the retail price would be less than the £2 per item prescription charge; and
What is the duty of a pharmacist in cases where patients are unable immediately to pay the £2 prescription charge for items which may be urgently required for the treatment of those patients.
§ Baroness TrumpingtonA pharmacist must recover from a patient a prescription charge in respect of each item dispensed under the National Health Service (unless the patient is exempt). Notwithstanding the provisions of his terms and conditions of service, he is under no obligation to dispense an item on a prescription form unless he is first paid the prescribed charge.
A small proportion of prescribed items can be purchased as retail items at a price less than the standard prescription charge. In such cases we have no objection to the pharmacist concerned pointing this out to the patient. If he does so and the patient buys the item, the prescription is, obviously, not dispensed. We believe it is right to leave the decision to individual pharmacists. We do not consider it necessary to issue formal guidance on this to pharmacists.