asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that, because of the underpayment of hospital pharmacists, there is a scarcity of hospital pharmacists, and that therefore hospitals are tending to stop dispensing prescriptions for out-patients, with the result that the items are often more expensive for the patient and often not so satisfactory; and, in view of the fact that this bears most heavily on poor people and old age pensioners, if he will review the pay of hospital pharmacists in order to make this service efficient.

A small proportion of the prescriptions given to hospital outpatients are dispensed by retail pharmacists; there is no difference in the charge to patients or in quality. A claim for increased salaries for hospital pharmacists is now before the Whitley Council.