§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of all the professional publications his Department has provided to national health service doctors containing advice about drug prescribing, including those referred to in his reply of 16 JulyOfficial Report, column 411, together with any departmental cover letters sent with such documents.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe professional publications containing advice about drug prescribing which are provided to NHS doctors at the Department's expense are as follows:
- British National Formulary
- Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (including adverse Drug Reactions Bulletin)
- Prescriber's Journal
- Current Problems
- Copies of each edition of these publications are already sent routinely to the Library.
§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Health further to his answer of 16 JulyOfficial Report, column 411, if he will list the specific circulars, documents and advice notes issued by his Department over the past 10 years in respect of (a) over-prescribing and (b) under-prescribing; and if he will place copies of all such documents in the Library.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe Department issued comprehensive guidance to family practitioner committees' on the management of the general medical services under the White Paper "Promoting Better Health", including prescribing, in November 1989. FPCs are now concentrating their efforts on preparing for the introduction of the indicative prescribing scheme in April 1991. To assist them we issued on 23 May 1990 "Improving Prescribing" a working paper on the operation of the scheme. Copies of "Promoting Better Health" and "Improving Prescribing" were placed in the Library at the time of their issue. We intend to issue further guidance on financial and other matters relating to the scheme in the autumn.