§ Mr. Hancockasked the Secretary of State for Social Services on how many occasions in the last two years action has been taken against doctors who habitually misprescribe, or oversubscribe, drugs.
§ Mr. NewtonIn 1984 and 1985, the latest years for which figures are available, doctors of the Department's regional medical service made 177 and 236 visits respectively to practices where prescribing costs were more than 25 per cent. above the average of colleagues in their family practitioner committee area. During these visits advice on how to modify prescribing habits without detriment to patient care was given to 371 and 462 general medical practitioners respectively.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department has powers under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to prohibit, by direction, a practitioner whom he 346W finds has been prescribing controlled drugs in an irresponsible manner from prescribing some or all controlled drugs. Two such directions were made in respect of doctors in 1984, two in 1985 and three in 1986.