§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many dispensing doctors' practices took part in the recent survey to ascertain their average discounts received on pharmaceutical services and appliances; what was the average discount received, and how many doctors gave evidence that they received more than 14.2 per cent. discount; and
How many (a) wholesalers and (b) companies took part in the survey to ascertain the average discounts given to dispensing doctors for pharmaceutical services and appliances purchased; whether participation took place in every case with the permission of the doctors concerned; what was the average discount given by (a) wholesalers and (b) companies; what proportion of purchases by doctors were from (a) wholesalers and (b) companies and whether these proportions were taken into account; and how many (a) wholesalers and (b) companies stated that they gave more than 14.2 per cent. discount on purchases.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege)The enquiry into levels of discount which dispensing doctors obtain from suppliers of drugs and appliances was carried out in 1993–94 on behalf of the British Medical Association and the Health Departments. Three hundred practices in England, Scotland and Wales were included in the sample, of which 139 consented to the disclosure of information on a confidential basis. As a result enquiries were made of 108 suppliers. The survey established a range of discounts for individual dispensing practices in England and Wales from zero to 14.2 per cent., with an average of 8.4 per cent. Some 95 per cent. of all purchases were made from wholesalers, but no further details of the respective rates of discount offered by different types of supplier are available. The methodology used for the survey itself and to establish the new scale rate was agreed with the General Medical Services Committee of the64WA British Medical Association and took account of the variations in discount rates received and the volume of drugs dispensed. The data did not support any change in the discount scale rates in Scotland.
§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is their intention to phase out rural dispensing doctors' practices by reducing their incomes through the discount abatement scale to such an extent that they become financially unviable, and, if it is, how they intend to ensure that patients in rural areas receive general medical services on the same basis as their urban counterparts.
§ Baroness CumberlegeThe recent revision in the discount scale rates was the first since 1984 and was based on data collected independently on behalf of the British Medical Association and the Health Departments. It is government policy to reimburse the acquisition costs of medicines purchased by dispensing doctors; the new discount scale is designed to do this. The Government have no evidence that implementation of the revised discount rates will threaten in any way the provision of general medical services in rural areas.