To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Government's policies for general practitioner drug lists.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the Government's policy towards general practitioner drug lists.

We are encouraging the continued development of voluntary local formularies (locally agreed lists of drugs which would normally be prescribed in the majority of cases) as a means of achieving more effective and economical prescribing by general medical practitioners. Formularies might cover a single practice, a group of practices or a family practitioner committee area. As we stated in working paper number 4, "Indicative Prescribing Budgets for General Medical Practitioners", it will be a responsibility of regional health authorities to encourage the development of joint formularies between FPCs and district health authorities.