§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy on the level of prescription charges and the availability of multiple prescriptions at discounted prices. [23395]
§ Mr. MilburnAll aspects of prescription charges are being examined as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review which will report in the summer. The Review in the Department of Health is being undertaken in the context of our manifesto commitment
if you are ill or injured there will be a national health service there to help; and access to it will be based on need and need alone—not on your ability to pay, or on who your general practitioner happens to be or on where you live".
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the proportion of medicinal drugs that are prescribed in order to counteract the consequences of other medicinal drugs. [23389]
§ Mr. MilburnIt is not possible to estimate the proportion of medicines prescribed to counteract the consequences of other medicinal drugs. However, medicinal drugs are often appropriately prescribed in combination, so that one drug may counteract the unwanted side-effects of another clinically necessary drug.