To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pharmacists were making independent prescriptions in (a) Gateshead East and Washington West, (b) the North East and (c) England in the latest period for which figures are available. (140644)

The Department obtains information from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB), which shows the number of pharmacists who have qualified and registered as pharmacist independent prescribers in Great Britain. The figures for May 2007 show that 68 pharmacists had registered their qualification with the RPSGB.

The Department does not have information at a local level.