HC Deb 20 March 1989 vol 149 cc489-90W
Mr. Butterfill

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what variations his Department is aware of in the level of costs of prescriptions between doctors' surgeries.

Mr. Mellor

We are aware of substantial variations in the prescribing costs of practices. For example, about 10 per cent. of practices prescribe at a level of 25 per cent. or more above the average for a practice in their FPC area. We have published information on the variation between FPCs in cost per head of prescriptions and I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Smith) on 16 March.