§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Secretary of State for Social Services in view of the shortage of medicine bottles, what steps he is taking to reimburse dispensing chemists who are facing increased costs due to the necessity to import bottles and caps.
§ Mr. DeakinsMy Department is currently considering a request by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee to take enhanced payments where, because of the bottle shortage, chemists supply additional or more expensive containers in dispensing NHS prescriptions.
Chemists are at present being paid an additional allowance of 2.5p per container, over and above the normal container allowance of 2.5p per prescription for every prescription dispensed where, because of the shortage of certain sizes of container, the chemist indicates that he has used a second container in dispensing a prescription.
§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals he has in mind to help chemists overcome the present shortage of suitable medicine bottles.
§ Mr. DeakinsThe glass manufacturing industry is aware of the situation, and whilst shortages are expected to continue for a few more months the industry's investment on additional capacity should ensure adequate supplies for the future. The situation could be helped in the meantime by pharmacists, where appropriate, retrieving empty bottles from patients for reuse. Every prescription form carries a note requesting patients to return bottles in a clean condition.