§ 135. Mr. Blenkinsopasked the Minister of Health whether he will make a statement as to progress made in securing reductions in the price of proprietary and non-proprietary drugs and medicines.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodI told the House in May that we had not been able to reach agreement on prices with the manufacturers in one group of proprietary preparations. Subsequently agreement for a reduction in prices was reached in the case of two of these preparations and doctors were asked not to prescribe the two others. Since then, at the request of the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry, discussions have been proceeding on the general principles by which the prices of proprietaries should be regulated.
Cost investigations of the secondary manufacture and compounding of nonproprietary preparations have not so far suggested that the general level of prices in this field is excessive, but the matter is still under discussion. The investigations into the cost of basic drugs are proceeding.