Prescribing Costs

HC Deb 20 February 1990 vol 167 cc717-8W

78. Dr. Twinn

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will clarify how prescribing costs will be monitored.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

Prescribing costs will be monitored by means of simple monthly statements sent to general practitioner practices, family practitioner committees and regional health authorities by the Prescription Pricing Authority. These statements will show how much of the budgets have been taken up and project the likely end of year outcome. This will allow practices to monitor their own costs without needing to set up their own information systems and will enable regional health authorities and family practitioner committees to monitor the operation of the scheme.

The monthly statements will be in addition to the more detailed PACT reports which will continue to be issued quarterly as at present.