Doctors are ‘cost effective prescribers’

A leading medical authority has criticised a report suggesting doctors prescribe too many drugs.

Dr Richard Vautrey, deputy chairman of the British Medical Association’s GP committee, made his comments to Sky News, claiming British doctors are more cost-effective in their prescriptions than in any other European country.

He spoke in response to the House of Commons public accounts committee suggesting doctors should act to reduce the £8.2 million NHS annual drugs bill.

It warned that the cost of prescription drugs has more than doubled over the last ten years and suggested GPs use cheaper and more generic medicines more frequently.

“They already prescribe at very high generic levels but there are situations where national bodies advise GPs to prescribe specific brands of drugs,” Dr Vautrey continued.

Furthermore, many patients request specific brands of drugs to ensure they are not “chopped and changed” when collecting their repeat prescription from their pharmacist, he added.