§ Mr. Mike Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will take steps to discourage doctors from signing prescription forms prior to their non-qualified staff completing details of the drug to be supplied; and what is his estimate as to how widespread this practice now is.
§ Dr. OwenThis practice is disallowed under general practitioners' terms of service and I do not have evidence of its taking place.
§ Mr. Mike Thomasasked the Secretary o, State for Social Services what would be the annual saving to the National Health Service if, in all appropriate cases, the cheapest effective generic drug were used to fill precriptions which specify branded drugs.
§ Dr. OwenIt would involve an undue expenditure of labour to prepare an estimate across the whole range of drugs, and any estimate could be upset within weeks by price changes or by the introduction of new drugs. Most modern drugs are available only in proprietary form, and some proprietaries are cheaper than their apparent generic equivalents. It is the family doctor's reponsibility to decide what drugs his patients need. Exact pharmacological equivalent of drugs are not very common, and for this reason pharmacists in general practice are not permitted dispense substitutes.
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§ Mr. Mike Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, pursuant to the Minister of State's reply [24th February 1976, Official Report, column 178] he will list in the Official Report those countries with more stringent restrictions on drug prescribing than those in force in the United Kingdom; and if he will make available in the Library a summary of their legislation in this respect.
§ Dr. OwenFull and up-to-date information is not readily available. My hon. Friend may, however, wish to look at Chapter 9 of the Final Report of the Hinchcliffe Committee on the cost of prescribing, a copy of which is in the Library.