Vol. 427 No. 7
35 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Minister for Health the procedures, if any, which are in place for the GMS payments board to pursue a monitor of cases of prescribing of drugs which seem excessive; and if he will give details of the monitoring and controlling procedures which are currently in place regarding stocks of drugs and medicines held by doctors who dispense directly to patients.
All prescribing and dispensing is monitored on a monthly basis by the General Medical Services (Payments) Board. Cases of unusual or costly prescribing, when identified, are brought to the notice of the relevant health boards where decisions are made on appropriate action, including disciplinary procedures where required.
From the reintroduction in July 1987 of dispensing by doctors under the General Medical Services scheme, the following arrangements have been in place: A dispensing doctor is issued by his health board with a four-part dispensing doctors' stock order form. The doctor enters his requirements and returns the top three parts to the health board for approval — part 4 is retained on the doctor's file. When the order is approved the health board submits copies 1 and 2 to the named pharmacy. As the stock received by the doctor is dispensed he completes a record form for each dispensing. When a further stock order is required all record forms, including cancelled forms, issued since the previous order are returned to the health board. Health boards examine these records before a further stock order form is made available to the doctors.
