Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to review pharmacy procurement practices for generic cancer drugs in rural areas.

The Department has no current plans to specifically review pharmacy procurement practices for generic cancer drugs in rural areas. Pharmacies are largely private businesses which provide National Health Services, and therefore have their own buying arrangements.

The Government’s policy on generic medicines is to allow suppliers freedom of pricing for their products, relying on competition between suppliers and efficient purchasing by community pharmacies to deliver value for money for the NHS.