§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken, and is planning for the future, to encourage prescribing by chemical description and not by branded drugs.
414Whospitals administered by the Essex Area Health Authority; and what were the equivalent statistics one year and two years ago, respectively.
§ Mr. MoyleInformation on average waiting times is not readily available. Total waiting lists for all surgical specialties were:
§ Mr. MoyleMost modern drugs are marketed only under brand names. Nevertheless my Department commends to prescribers the use of generic, or scientific names, and a copy of each addition of the British National Formulary in which drugs are listed by generic name, is provided free to every doctor. Where a drug is available under both brand and generic names doctors are asked to prescribe the most economical alternative; and they are provided with information about the comparative costs of selected drugs.
We are consulting the interested professions about ideas for improving the content and frequency of the information provided to doctors about drugs and drug costs.
§ Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the value of drugs prescribed under the National Health Service by chemists in the United Kingdom in each of the past three years.
§ Mr. MoyleInformation is not available in the detail requested but the cost of drugs and appliances dispensed by chemists and appliance contractors under the National Health Service in the United Kingdom in each of the last three years was:
£ million 1974 1974 … … … … 255.0 1975 … … … … 329.2 1976 … … … … 427.3