§ Mr. HannamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many tetanus vaccines were personally administered by(a) medical practitioners and (b) pharmacists in each year since 1982;
(2) how many flu' vaccines were personally administered by (a) medical practitioners and (b) pharmacists in each year since 1982;
(3) if he will take steps to remove the current anomaly whereby medical practitioners administer vaccines free of charge and claim back the cost while pharmacists providing the same vaccine must recover the cost directly from members of the public.
§ Mr. NewtonThe personal administration of vaccines may be undertaken by doctors but not by pharmacists. Information on the number of tetanus and influenza vaccines personally administered by medical practitioners is not available centrally. General medical practitioners are remunerated through fees and allowances for supplying vaccines for personal administration as are pharmacists for supplying vaccines on prescription. In neither case are the cost of the vaccines recovered directly from members of the public, but a prescription charge will be payable (subject to the usual exemptions) where a pharmacist is supplying on prescription. There are no present plans to change these arrangements.