[Taf]

The Welsh Assembly put forward an idea that there should only be ONE brand of diabetic needles, injectors, test strips, test meters, etc., supplied by NHS Wales. Supposedly to make savings by "economies of scale". But researchers came up blank on any savings at all, so the idea was shelved.

The reintroduction of Prescription Charges was also looked at, but it was again found that the admin cost was greater than than the cost of free prescriptions, even with the potential charge receipts.

But some movement has been made to reduce prescriptions of cheap and easy-to-find medicines and items, such as paracetamol, aspirin, cough and throat linctus, aqueous creams, etc.