§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they propose to set and implement the dispensing fees for dispensing doctors which should have been effective from April 1992.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege)For 1992–93 the Doctors and Dentists Review Body recommended an overall level of increase per prescription of 2 per cent. over 1991–92 for payments to dispensing doctors in respect of the aggregate of on-costs and dispensing fees. The on-cost element is directly linked to the basic price of drugs, which is forecast to increase by considerably more than this. To contain the overall level of increase in payments to 2 per cent., dispensing fees would, on current forecast, need to be reduced.
Proposals on new fee scales will be sent to the General Medical Services Committee of the British Medical Association shortly.