§ Mr. Jon Owen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is her estimate of how much money is lost to the NHS through doctors prescribing extra calendar packs of drugs, to make up for shortfalls because calendar packs are issued in 28 day units;
(2) what considerations underline the policy of supplying calendar packs of drugs produced for the NHS in 28 day units rather than 30 day units.
§ Dr. MawhinneyPharmaceutical companies are responsible for determining what size calendar packs of drugs they produce. These are usually in 28 or 30 day units. General practitioners prescribe the amount needed by their patients by indicating, for example, the number of days, weeks or months of treatment or the number of calendar packs they wish to be supplied. There is no information to suggest that money is lost to the national health service because doctors find it necessary to prescribe extra quantities of drugs which are produced in calendar packs of 28 day units.