§ Mr. Ron Lewisasked the Minister of Health how many pharmacists dispensing medicines have closed in the last five years; and if this work has since been undertaken by the doctors in the area concerned.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThe number of pharmacies of dispensing chemists in contract with Executive Councils in England and Wales open at the end of 1960 and 1965 was 12,922 and 12,396—a reduction of 526. It is not possible to relate this to variations in the number of patients for whom doctors are required to dispense, but there is reason to believe that many of the closures were in urban areas, where the dispensing work was taken over by other pharmacies.