§ Mr. Moateasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will have further consultations with non-pharmacy retail interests with regard to the restrictions on the sale of analgesics imposed by the Medicines (General Sale List) Order 1977; and if he will specify his reasons for limiting the pack size of aspirins or paracetamol tablets sold by non-pharmacy shops.
§ Sir George YoungI have received no representations from retail interests on this subject. The Medicines (General Sale List) Order lists medicines which in the opinion of Ministers can with reasonable safety be sold from non-pharmacy outlets. The provision in the 1977 order which limits the pack size of analgesics for reasons of safety accords with advice which was proffered by the Medicines Commission in August 1976 after a very full review of the arguments for and against restricting the sale of analgesics to pharmacies. The trade and other interests likely to be affected were fully consulted at the time.