HC Deb 28 July 1972 vol 841 cc402-3W
Mr. Pavitt

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will establish a working party to examine the findings of the World Health Organisation technical report series No. 495, with a view to securing the substitution of other compounds to replace opium, morphine and codeine in National Health Service prescribing.

Sir K. Joseph

No. The report shows that the available synthetic alternates have not been demonstrated to be clearly superior to the opiates in some conditions, and I think it is right that doctors should be free to decide which drug to use in the treatment of individual patients.