§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a general practitioner may prescribe a substance on a private prescription where to do so would be cheaper for a patient than getting the same prescription on an NHS prescription.
§ Dr. MawhinneyA general practitioner can offer patients the choice of between receiving a prescription on the national health service or purchasing an over the counter product themselves if the cost of the product is cheaper than the NHS prescription charge. Of course, many people are exempt from prescription charges and the GP could be regarded in breach of his terms of service if this point were overlooked. If an NHS patient requests a private prescription the GP is not precluded from providing one but may not charge a fee. The costs of dispensing a private prescription would have to be met by the patients.