§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will issue to all prescribing doctors, regarding the basic NHS costs of Para-seltzer, Panadol effervescent and paracetamol, information indicating that, with comparable analgesic and antipyretic qualities, the dearest costs six times as much as the cheapest.
§ Dr. OwenNo. Comparison cost charts which give information of the kind suggested are issued regularly to all doctors. Several charts have compared the costs of different analgesic and anti-pyretic analgesic drugs and another such chart will be issued shortly. Information about the cost to the National Health Service of Paraseltzer, Panadol effervescent and paracetamol was published by Consumers' Association in a recent edition of Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin. Currently the Department is providing the bulletin, and Adverse Drug Reaction Bulletin, free to certain doctors and to medical students in their final year. The effects are being assessed.