§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his Department issues guidance to medical practitioners concerning drug costs and expenditure upon complex, costly clinical tests.
223W
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe ensure that general medical practitioners receive a variety of written information about relative costs of drugs. In addition, members of the regional medical service visit practitioners whose prescribing costs are substantially above the average for their area to discuss prescribing with them. We have also encouraged the spread of local multidisciplinary drug and therapeutics committees, representing both hospital and general medical practitioner interests, as a forum for discussing drug costs and agreeing local prescribing policies without impinging on the clinical freedom of doctors. We do not plan any new restrictions on prescribing.
The Department does not issue guidance regarding expenditure on clinical tests although this information is available locally. The extent to which these tests are made available is a matter for the local health authority.