HC Deb 11 February 1985 vol 73 c79W
Rev. Martin Smyth

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the saving in the cost of the pharmaceutical service if all prescriptions were dispensed by pharmacist contractors, assuming that all prescriptions now dispensed by doctors were dispensed by average size pharmacies.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

We do not have the detailed information that would be required to attempt to answer this question. The cost or savings associated with a redistribution of dispensing from dispensing doctors to dispensing pharmacists would depend on the pattern of costs of available dispensing outlets in the localities in question.