Hospital Outpatients: Prescription Charges: Re-introduction (P72/2013): Withdrawal

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A decision made 4 September 2013:

Decision Reference: MD-HSS-2013-0031
Decision Summary Title :	Withdrawal of P72./2013 “Hospital Outpatients: Re-introduction of Prescription Charges“		Date of Decision Summary:	20 August 2013
Decision Summary Author:	Assistant Director, Policy		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:
Written Report Title :	Withdrawal of P.72/2013 – “Hospital Outpatients: Re-introduction of Prescription Charges”		Date of Written Report:	22 August 2013
Written Report Author:	Chief Pharmacist		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: P72./2013: “Hospital Outpatients: Re-introduction of Prescription Charges“
Decision(s): The Minister for HSSD has determined that the proposition will be withdrawn and an alternative option for achieving the aims of the proposition pursued through a Ministerial Mandate to Consultants on prescribing policy.
Reason(s) for decision: The Minister has listened to the views of the public and the HSSD Scrutiny Panel and has revisited the options for achieving the aims of the proposition. Instituting a mandate that reapplies and strengthens current policy precluding Hospital Consultants from issuing prescriptions to outpatients for medicines that should ordinarily be prescribed by GPs, will enable the department to reinforce the need to put prescribing back into the community, where it should be, as well as assisting the department to achieve its anticipated CSR savings through a reduction in the number of outpatient prescriptions being delivered via the Hospital pharmacy.
Resource Implications: None.
Action required: Greffier of the States to be requested to withdraw P72/2013: “Hospital Outpatients: Re-introduction of Prescription Charges“.
Signature:		Position: Minister for Health and Social Services
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):