§ Mr. Michael Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether every product in the amended limited list will meet the quality standards of the specifications in the British Pharmacopoeia.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe limited list of medicinal products in certain categories available in the National Health Service after 1 April, published by my right hon. Friend on 21 February, contains both proprietary and non-proprietary preparations. Of the non-proprietary preparations 23 are not currently the subject of monographs published in the British Pharmacopoeia. Of these 23, 12 have to meet standards published in the British Pharmaceutical Codex 1973; I understand that these are currently being reviewed by the British Pharmacopoeia commission with a view to the inclusion of monographs in a future edition of the pharmacopoeia. I also understand that the Commission is considering the preparation of monographs on the remaining 11 items.
Proprietary products are not normally covered by BP monographs, but most of those in the list contain active ingredients which are the subject of current monographs.
§ Sir Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many products listed in his proposed list of drugs and other substances not to be made available at the National Health Service expense from 1 April do not require licences under the Medicines Act 1968.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe list contains a small number of items which do not come within the definition of "medicinal product" at section 130 of the Medicines Act 1968. Mostly these will consist of products which the advisory committee on boarderline substances have said should not be prescribed on form FP10. The total number of items concerned could be extracted only at disproportionate cost but is expected to be small because the list is concerned with particular therapeutic categories.
§ Sir Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he consulted the School of Aviation Medicine in drawing up the list of benzodiazepine preparations to be included in the limited list.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeNo, nor did the School of Aviation Medicine submit any comments on our proposals.
§ Dr. Godmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations he has received from members of the public with regard to his proposals to limit the range of drugs available on the National Health Service.
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§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe have received over 11,000 letters about the limited list proposals. About 6,500 of these were from hon. Members on behalf of constituents or directly from members of the public.