The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7258 p73
19 July 2003

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Lobbying continues ahead of OFT report response by Government

Lobbying of politicians in relation to the Office of Fair Trading report continued as the Government's deadline for a response to the report approached.

The Department of Trade and Industry was expected to issue the Government’s response on 17 July, the last day of the current Parliamentary session, after The Journal went to press.

Speculation in the media ahead of the deadline suggested that Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt might rebuff the OFT call for full deregulation but still allow primary care trusts to grant more pharmacy contracts.

Earlier this month, North East London Local Pharmaceutical Committee members met Leader of the Opposition Iain Duncan Smith at Benjamin’s Pharmacy in Mr Duncan Smith’s Chingford constituency.

Hemant Patel, secretary to the LPC, told The Journal that the opposition leader signed a petition opposing the OFT recommendation of deregulation of pharmacy contracts and said that the entire weight of the Conservative Party would be thrown behind the campaign against the report.

Full details of any announcement will be carried on PJ Online and responses to it will appear in next week’s Journal.