§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the effect of his decision to exclude the cost of samples from his pharmaceutical price regulation scheme, in the light of the fact that medicines are now being distributed to the same extent as clinical trial material; and if these costs are now in- 618W cluded in place of the item preciously designated as samples.
§ Mr. Moyle:The cost of clinical trials is not—and never has been—included in sales promotion costs in returns under the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme, and therefore did not affect the decision to exclude expenditure on samples—other than samples supplied for identification purposes—from the prices of NHS medicines. I am satisfied that the introduction of the PPRS has been effective in reducing the total expenditure on sales promotion.