§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the level of profit made by dispensing doctors in dispensing on the NHS free374W samples from pharmaceutical companies; what plans he has for an abatement scheme to recover these costs; and if he will make a statement. [30694]
§ Mr. HagueIt is for the independent Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration to make recommendations on the level and distribution of net incomes for doctors taking part in the NHS. Among the evidence available to it each year is a comparison of the earnings and expenses of dispensing and non-dispensing doctors.
Payments to doctors in respect of practice dispensing have been subject to an abatement, known as the discount scale, since 1983. The discount scale represents the difference between the list price of all drugs dispensed in general practice and the net acquisition cost of the same drugs.