HC Deb 20 October 1999 vol 336 c607W
Mr. Swayne

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement regarding the change in the number of category D entries appearing in the Drug Tariff published by The Stationery Office each month since February. [93878]

Mr. Hutton

Drugs are added to Category D of Part VIII of the Drug Tariff when community pharmacies are having difficulty obtaining supplies of generic drugs at Drug Tariff price. The closure of a significant manufacturer of generics last December, combined with the relocation of some manufacturing facilities at the beginning of the year, and the transfer of products from bulk to smaller packs has meant that a wider range of products than normal have been in short supply, and hence an unusually large number of products have been included in Category D.