§ Mr. Chris SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his current estimate of the amount(a) in volume and (b) in value of drugs prescribed by doctors in the NHS and then not used by patients in the course of a year; and what plans he has to ensure that wastage is minimised. [11242]
§ Mr. MaloneThis information is not collected. However, following publication last year of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys—now Office for National Statistics—report "Residual Medicines", the Department is currently engaged in setting up repeat dispensing trials to test whether this would reduce drug waste. The Department, thorough a variety of measures, seeks to encourage general practitioners to review and effectively control their repeat prescribing. Repeat prescribing has been identified as a priority area in the Department's research programme.