§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will detail the National Health Service provision for those addicted to the benzodiazepine drugs who are trying to end their dependency.
§ Mr. MellorWe do not hold this information centrally. Services for those dependent on benzodiazepines are provided by general practitioners, general psychiatric services, community drug teams, and specialist services for those experiencing problems with illicit or prescribed drugs.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the annual number of prescriptions for the five most common benzodiazepine drugs.
§ Mr. MellorThe number of prescriptions for the five benzodiazepines most commonly dispensed by community pharmacists in Great Britain in 1987 was as follows:550W
Thousands Drug Number of prescriptions Temazepam 7,752 Nitrazepam 5,227 Diazepam 5,078 Lorazepam 2,902 Triazolam 2,226
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence he has as to the frequency with which general practitioners prescribe benzodiazepine drugs for periods longer than that recommended by the Committee on Safety of Medicines.
§ Mr. MellorWe do not collect centrally any information about the length of time for which GPs prescribe drugs for patients.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in theOfficial Report the names of groups known to be working with benzodiazepine sufferers; if he will give the funds allocated to each by his Department; and if he will consider providing core funding for all such groups.
§ Mr. MellorWe do not hold centrally a list of groups working with those dependent on benzodiazepines. The Department is, however, funding the National Association for Mental Health (MIND) to produce a national directory of services for this group.
The provision and funding of direct client services for this group is the responsibility of the local statutory authorities. In order to pump-prime the development of local services for those experiencing problems with illicit or prescribed drugs, the Government established a central funding initiative, under which £17.5 million was allocated to 188 local projects. In addition, since 1986 the Government have allocated funds to regional health authorities specifically for the development of drug misuse services, including services for those dependent on benzodiazepines. This funding totals almost £15 million in 1989–90.
Core funding under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 is awarded primarily to national organisations. Under this scheme in 1988–89 the Department gave a grant of £10,000 to TRANX (UK) Ltd. The Department's grant to MIND also covers the production of public information material on benzodiazepines.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consult pharmaceutical companies producing benzodiazepines about ways in which they could help those who have become addicted to these drugs.
§ Mr. FreemanThose who have become dependent on benzodiazepines can obtain help from their general practitioner, the general psychiatric services, community drug teams, specialist drug dependency services, and voluntary agencies.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will detail the action he has taken to encourage general practitioners not normally to prescribe the benzodiazepine drugs for periods longer than those recommended by the Committee on Safety of Medicines; and if he will take further action.
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§ Mr. MellorGeneral practitioners now have all the information and advice, including that from the Committee on Safety of Medicines, that they need to prescribe benzodiazepines. It is up to doctors to take heed of this advice and to exercise their clinical judgment when prescribing in each case.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will allocate funds for research into the damage to various organs of the body that can arise from the use of the benzodiazepine drugs.
§ Mr. MellorI have no plans to do so.