§ Mr. Macdonaldasked the Minister of Health what was the additional cost, during the latest 12-month period for which figures are available, of using E.C.10 H.P.s for the dispensing of hospital prescriptions by retail chemists due to the shortage of pharmacists in the hospital service.
§ Mr. K. Robinson:The total payment to retail chemists in England and Wales during 1966–67 in respect of prescriptions on E.C.10 H.P. was just over £1½ million of which nearly £1.2 million was reimbursement of the supply cost of the drugs and their containers, and remainder being payment for the chemists' costs and services in dispensing. I cannot judge what net saving there might have been to the National Health Service had the prescriptions been dispensed in hospital pharmacies. In some cases it would be less economical for the hospital to dispense.