§ Mr. Nicholas BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward legislation to end restrictive practices imposed by family practitioner committees in respect of the use by patients of pharmacies of dispensing doctors.
§ Mr. MellorDispensing by doctors is permitted only as an exception to the general rule that doctors prescribe and pharmacists dispense. This is a sensible rule which ensures that the skills and qualifications of both professions are used to the best effect. I have no plans to change it.
Schemes Regional Health Authorities North Western Mersey Trent Yorkshire Northern East Anglian North west Thames North-East Thames South-East Thames South-West Thames Wessex Oxford South Western West Midlands Completed since 1979 42 21 37 19 18 22 30 17 25 24 17 16 23 38 Under construction 14 2 11 11 11 2 15 11 6 10 12 15 12 10 At planning and design stage 46 2 51 28 17 24 10 27 15 23 12 9 18 50