§ Mr. Tilleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make an investigation to establish whether the injectable contraceptive Depo-Provera which is recommended only for short-term use in a very limited number of cases by the Committee on Safety of Medicines, is being prescribed for long-term use to many women who do not fall into the categories specified by the Committee on Safety of Medicines.
§ Mr. Roland Moyle, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 18 January 1979; Vol. 960, c. 898–99] gave the following information:
I am advised that the use of Depo Provera is indicated in certain medical conditions as well as for contraceptive purposes. It is a long held principle of the National Health Service that doctors are free to exercise their clinical judgment and to prescribe any medicinal substance which they consider appropriate to the needs of their patients. An investigation of the kind proposed would therefore be inappropriate.