20 December 2001

To: Pharmaceutical Product Licence Holders and Wholesale Dealers

Dear sir/madam

The Health Service Medicines (Information on the Prices of Specific Generic Medicines) Regulations 2001 which came into force today require manufacturers or suppliers of specified generic medicines to provide the Secretary of State with information. This letter commissions the required information that must be received by the Department of Health by 31 January 2002. The Regulations enclosed apply to any manufacturer or supplier of specified generic medicines who

1. holds either a wholesaler dealers’ licence within the meaning of Section 8(3) of the Medicines Act 1968 or a marketing authorisation in respect of those specified generic health service medicines;

2. during the year ended 31 December 2000 supplied generic medicines for health service use to the value of not less than £1 million.

The information required for the 12 months to 31 August 2001 is as follows:

1. the number of packs of each presentation sold by way of wholesale or supplied to persons lawfully conducting pharmacy businesses and dispensing doctors, and

2. the receipts from the sales and supplies of each presentation identified separately in respect of receipts from such sale or supply;

3. where he did not manufacture the medicines, the identity of the manufacturer and the charges made by him for the manufacture of those medicines.

4. information on the amount of any discount or rebate given in respect of each product, or, where discounts and rebates cannot be separately identified, the total value in respect of more than one such product.

The specified generic medicines are attached and are listed at http://www.doh.gov.uk/generics/medicines.htm

A form in electronic format (Exel 97) is available on the above website at http://www.doh.gov.uk/generics with user guidance. It is strongly advised that the guidance notes included in the form should be printed out and read.

The form is available on floppy disks or hard copies for companies that have difficulty accessing it on the web or are not on line, on request by telephoning Eunice Barnor on 020 7210 5847. Please email the information to generics@doh.gsi.gov.uk or by post to Eunice Barnor in room 156, 79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS by 31 January 2002. It would be helpful to send electronic data.

If you have any queries on the completion of the electronic form please ring Melissa Cox on 020 7972 5517, for other queries ring Eunice Barnor on the above number.

I enclose a list of the specified generic products.

Yours faithfully

Head of Medicines Price and Supply Branch

Medicines Pharmacy and Industry Division

Tel: 020 7210 5400

Email: michael.brownlee@doh.gsi.gov.uk