§ Dr. BrandTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assumptions his Department makes in assessing the issue of pen needles on prescription of(a) the number of times each needle is likely to be used for repeat injections and (b) the likely conversion of people with insulin dependent diabetes from using a syringe to using a pen injection device if needles were prescribable;[32056]
- (2) what is his Department's current estimate of the cost of making pen needles available on prescription;[32084]
- (3) if his Department is reviewing whether to make pen injection devices available on prescription. [32083]
§ Mr. MilburnWe are currently considering whether general practitioners should be allowed to prescribe insulin injection pens and pen needles on the National Health Service. Department of Health officials are in discussion with the major suppliers with a view to refining the cost estimates which are currently between £10 million and £30 million a year. In arriving at these figures we have taken account of the likely range of such factors as frequency of needle change and conversion from syringes to pens. We have not, at this stage, sought to estimate an average figure for these factors.