The Government has indicated that it expects stocks of generic medicines to be reduced in the run-up to the introduction of substantial price cuts in July.
In a Parliamentary written reply on May 11, Ms Gisela Stuart (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health) told Mr Fabian Hamilton (Lab, Leeds North East): "Community pharmacists, along with other parties in the supply chain, have several months in which they can reduce their stockholdings before the proposed legislation requiring price cuts takes effect. In addition, reimbursement prices will not be brought into line with the new selling prices until the following month, thus providing a further time interval during which stocks can be run down and replaced with new stock at the lower price."
Mr Hamilton had asked what was the likely effect of price cuts on patient packs, the availability of generics and whether pharmacists would be reimbursed for stocks bought at the previous higher prices.
Ms Stuart said that the proposals would correct the effect of last year's price rises, while allowing reasonable returns to those in the supply chain. She believed that the new prices would stimulate a good supply of generics, including patient packs.