Mr. Gareth ThomasTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the impact of the loss of resale price maintenance on over-the-counter medicines on the pharmacy sector. [33489]
§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsThe Director General of Fair Trading has published details in his January 1998 report "Material Changes in the Medicaments Market since 1970", a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
The report shows that branded over-the-counter medicines are estimated to account for up to 8 per cent. of chemists' turnover in 1995, compared with up to 334W 13 per cent. in 1970, and that the proportion of turnover accounted for by regulated NHS business has increased from 35 per cent. to 45 per cent. in 1970 to around 70 per cent. in 1995.