Having practice pharmacists is not only way of reducing prescribing costs

EDITOR—Wells advocates employing a practice pharmacist to control prescribing costs in general practice.1 This can be achieved by other, less costly, means. The latest prescribing analysis and cost (PACT) data for the non-fundholding practice (about 8500 patients) where I work show that our prescribing costs are 26% below the national equivalent, marginally better than those of Wells's practice (24% below the national equivalent). Our generic prescribing rate is 80%, and the number of items prescribed is 31% below the national equivalent. This has been achieved by means of computer aided generic prescribing, a practice formulary, and prescribing protocols and guidelines.