Lord Winstanleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is in accordance with their policies that hospital out-patients should now be referred to their general practitioners for their prescriptions rather than having these dispensed by the hospital pharmacy.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Baroness Trumpington)The duty of prescribing rests with the 127WA doctor who at the time has clinical responsiblity for a patient's treatment. The hospital doctor should therefore prescribe any necessary drugs for an out-patient while he or she has clinical responsibility for the patient's treatment. The drugs will normally be dispensed by the hospital pharmacy, but in some cases may be dispensed by a retail chemist.