HC Deb 24 March 1981 vol 1 c316W
Miss Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the practice of some hospitals of restricting prescriptions made up in their own dispensaries to two weeks for out-patients and of requiring them to get further prescriptions from their general practitioner is in accordance with his policy on dispensing; and what is the relative cost of prescriptions dispensed in hospitals compared with those dispensed through a pharmacist.

Sir George Young

Health authorities were reminded last year of guidance to the effect that the duty of prescribing for out-patients rests with the doctor who at the time has the clinical responsibility for the patient's treatment. I regret that the available information about hospital prescribing and dispensing costs is not on a basis which would allow a valid comparison to be made with those in retail pharmacy services.