§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the number of contacts made by his medical officer with doctors who have had a higher cost for an average prescription than their colleagues in the same area has trebled in the last five years; why the cost of medicines in the National Health Service has risen from £142 million to £191 million in the same period; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonVisits by regional medical officers on prescribing matters are not undertaken solely because a doctor's average prescribing costs are high; indeed, the predominant reason for the increase in the number of contacts is the additional visits made to discuss unusual patterns in the prescribing of individual drugs, particularly drugs of dependence.
A number of factors have contributed to the increased expenditure on medicines, including the use of new drugs which are more effective but more costly, and the changed value of money.