The house of commons health select committee's report on generic prices - Implications for primary care prescribing

This article considers the House of Commons health select committee report into generic drug prices along with the recent short-term proposals by the Government to control prices. The article focuses on the reimbursement system for pharmacists as the main factor in the steep price rises and their sustained high levels. The challenge for the Government will be to design a reimbursement system that avoids the perverse incentives of the current system and encourages the regular supply of cost-effective generic medicines.