Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what was the average cost per prescription in 1977 made by allopathic doctors under the National Health Service;
(2) what was the average cost per prescription in 1977 made by the homoeopathic doctors under the National Health Service;
(3) how many prescriptions were made in 1977 under the National Health Service by allopathic doctors;
(4) how many prescriptions were made in 1977 under the National Health Services by homoeopathic doctors;
(5) what was the average cost per prescription in 1977 of allopathic prescriptions issued from a convenient small number of hospital departments;
(6) what was the average cost per prescription in 1977 of prescriptions issued from a convenient number of hospital homoeopathic departments.
§ Mr. MoyleFamily doctors in the National Health Service are free to decide whether and in what circumstances a homoeopathic or an allopathic remedy is appropriate. In 1976, the latest year for 85W which figures are available, 104,000 prescriptions for homoeopathic remedies were dispensed in the general practitioner services in England at an average net ingredient cost per prescription of £0.682, while the total number of allopathic prescriptions was 284,674,000 at an average net ingredient cost of £1.138 per prescription.
I regret that the figures of hospital prescribings and dispensings are not available.
Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will issue instructions that all prescriptions prescribed by general practitioners under the National Health Service be marked by the prescribing doctor as either homoeopathic or allopathic.
§ Mr. MoyleNo. It is for the prescribing doctor to write the appropriate directions on the prescription.