§ Baroness Masham of Iltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are aware that cough linctuses which are potentially addictive have been included on the proposed list of drugs which will be available to patients under the National Health Service.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Lord Glenarthur)These drugs were included for completeness to acknowledge their use in serious illness. It is the doctors' professional responsibility to take account of the potential addictiveness of drugs when they prescribe them.
We have been advised that diamorphine linctus and methadone linctus, which are controlled drugs, should remain available for the suppression of cough in terminal conditions. Doctors are well aware of their potential addictiveness and we are satisfied that, as now, they will not prescribe them unnecessarily.