HC Deb 18 December 1984 vol 70 cc151-2W
Dr. Roger Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends to announce a final decision about the number and scope of the limited list of pharmaceutics announced in the debate on the Queen's Speech.

Mr. Grylls

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he intends to take to ensure that National Health Service patients affected by his proposals to limit the drugs prescribable for them are adequately informed of the changes before 1 April 1985.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

We will draw up and announce the lists of the drugs which will, and will not, be prescribable under the National Health Service as soon as possible after the consultation period ends on 31 January 1985.

Mr. Waller

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, when he considers his proposal to limit the range of drugs which may be prescribed under the National Health Service, he will take account of allergies exhibited by some patients to certain generic prescriptions.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

The consultations which we are undertaking with the medical profession and other interested parties are designed to ensure that, within the categories of drugs to be included in the limited list, prescribers will be able to choose from an adequate range of alternative generic drugs to meet their patients' needs.

Sir David Price

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further representations he has received from pharmaceutical companies resultant upon his statement of 8 November; and what has been the tenor of his replies.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

I have so far arranged two meetings with representatives of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. In addition, our officials have had discussions with several companies affected by the proposals.

Mr. Grylls

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, on the basis of his current draft of the drugs to be included on the limited list, he will estimate company by company and in total the effect on each of the pharmaceutical companies whose relevant products are currently planned to be excluded; if he will publish the estimates in the Official Report; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

No. We do not have sufficient data to make accurate estimates of this kind.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a comparison of the prices of those products which he is currently considering placing on the limited list of medications which may be prescribed by doctors for patients under the National Health Service with the cost of their most widely-prescribed brand-name equivalents.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

[pursuant to the reply, 10 December 1984, c. 383]: In 1983 the average net ingredient cost per prescription for branded products in the therapeutic categories covered by our proposals was three-and-a-half times that of prescriptions for the generic alternatives set out in the provisional list we published on 8 November. We cannot list those drugs which will remain available on NHS prescription after 1 April 1985, nor those which will not, until after the completion of our consultation with the professions and the industry.