§ Mr. Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will report on the further progress made on the question of labelling prescribed medicines.
§ Sir K. JosephArrangements are being made for the earliest possible implementation of the agreement reached between the Councils of the British Medical Association and the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain that the present convention as to the labelling of dispensed medicines should be changed. At present, the chemist only puts the name of the medicine on the label if the doctor marks the prescription "NP". The main provision of the new convention is that the National Health Service prescription form will bear the letters "NP" and that the chemist will label the medicines accordingly unless the prescriber indicates the contrary by crossing out these letters. The agreement also applies to private prescriptions.
Now that agreement has been reached between my Department and the Central National Health Service (Chemist Contractors) Committee on payment in England and Wales for the additional work of chemists, the new "NP" procedure can be introduced as soon as revised National Health Service prescription forms have been printed and distributed. The earliest practicable operative date is 1st April, 1972. Meanwhile, the present convention whereby doctors signify their wishes as to labelling will continue to apply.