The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7244 p514
12 April 2003

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Letters to the Editor

Community pharmacy

To which £840m does the Chancellor refer?

From Dr B. P. Curwain, MRPharmS

Your Lobby correspondent stated last week (PJ, 5 April, p461) that Gordon Brown believes that "allowing supermarket giants unfettered access to the prescription drugs market would save the taxpayer a hefty proportion of the £840m which the Treasury currently pays to pharmacies".

I am at a loss to know what this means or what assumptions lie behind it. The total drugs bill is around £6,000m. Which £840m is the Chancellor thinking of?

Certainly, the Drug Tariff prices are not likely to be affected by such a move.

Brian Curwain
Chief Pharmacist and Head of Primary Care,
New Forest Primary Care Trust

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