§ 91. Mr. Blenkinsopasked the Minister of Health what action he proposes to take to reduce the cost to the National Health Service of proprietary medicines.
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§ 97. Dr. Summerskillasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General with regard to the heavy prescribing of expensive proprietary drugs; and what action he proposes to take in order to reduce this expenditure in tht future.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodAll doctors have been urged to help to keep this cost down by prescribing standard drugs wherever appropriate and by not prescribing proprietary drugs which are advertised direct to the public—and lists of the latter have been supplied to them. In the last resort it is in the power of the doctors themselves to help most in this considerable problem, and I am sure that we can count on them to do so. For my part, I am considering what further steps can be taken.
§ 96. Mr. Hastingsasked the Minister of Health the chemical formula of the proprietary brand of drug used for slimming which, when prescribed under the National Health Service, cost the taxpayer £400,000 in 1951; and what would be the approximate saving if all proprietary drugs, of which the formula is known, were prescribed under their standard names.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodI am informed that the tablets in question are made of dexamphetamine sulphate. I regret that the information asked for in the second part of the Question is not available.