§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Prime Minister if he will appoint a tsar to reduce the deaths and addictions caused by the mis-use of medicinal and other legal drugs. [50485]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 14 July 1998]: Misuse should occur only when prescribers or patients use medicines outside the authorised conditions. Doctors and other healthcare professionals are individually responsible for the products they prescribe and must be able to justify, if necessary, their prescribing decisions. In particular, prescribing over large quantities or for excessive periods could be taken up as a terms of service issue or by the General Medical Council as professional disciplinary matter.
Medicines are authorised for the United Kingdom market only after thorough and expert evaluation by the Medicines Control Agency, advised by the Committee on Safety of Medicines. The MCA continues to monitor the safety of medicines after they have been placed on the market and exposed to a greater population than in pre-authorisation tests. Medicines are authorised for use in very specific circumstances and any contraindications and warnings are shown clearly both to prescribers in the summary of product characteristics and to patients in information leaflets. We are satisfied that regulatory control, together with information and guidance to healthcare and patients, provides the necessary safeguards.