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HoC Answers - 07.11.08
General Practitioners: Pharmacy
Miss McIntosh (Conservative, Vale of York)
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the potential loss of revenue to dispensing doctors of the proposals contained in the Pharmacy White Paper; and what assessment he has made of the effects on rural general practices of the removal of dispensing rights to patients living in rural areas;
Miss McIntosh
(2) what the projected cost is of each of the four proposed options for dispensing doctors outlined in the Pharmacy White Paper;
Miss McIntosh
(3) what plans he has to amend the basis on which general practitioners in rural areas can dispense medicines and other products;
Miss McIntosh
(4) what plans he has to ensure that rural communities are not adversely affected by proposed changes to dispensing arrangements for doctors; and if he will make a statement.
Phil Hope (Minister of State for Health
The factors for consideration are set out in the consultation paper, "Pharmacy in England: Building on strengths-delivering the future-proposals for legislative change", published on 27 August 2008.
As part of this consultation, we have put forward a range of options, including the option of leaving general practitioner dispensing arrangements unchanged, on which we are seeking views. The impact assessments, which have been published as part of the consultation, consider the likely effects of each of the options available.
We have no preferred option at this stage nor have we come to a view as to whether any reform of these particular arrangements is necessary.
The consultation paper and associated impact assessments have already been placed in the Library and are available on the Department's website at:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_087324
Posted 7 November 2008