§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether two or three drug combination therapy for those with HIV is approved for support within(a) the GP prescribing scheme and (b) hospital trust pharmacies, and if he will make a statement. [37564]
502W
§ Mr. HoramWhere different drug regimes are available, it is a matter for general practitioners to discuss with patients and decide on the best form of treatment. Likewise, hospital clinicians prescribe medicines to meet patients' clinical needs, and these are supplied by the hospital pharmacy. Unlicensed drugs can be prescribed on a named patient basis. No specific instructions have been issued on drug combination therapies for HIV, but the Department recommends developing local strategies for the managed entry of new medicines into the national health service, making use of evidence of their clinical and cost effectiveness.