§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what restrictions are placed on the prescribing of diazepam. [37156]
§ Ms JowellDiazepam is classified as a prescription-only medicine under the Medicines Act 1968.
The British National Formulary (BNF), which is funded by the Department and is provided free to doctors twice a year, provides guidance on the prescribing of diazepam. It also sets out specific advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines.
The BNF also includes general advice on prescribing drugs which are likely to cause dependence, suggesting that the prescriber should prescribe small amounts initially and take care to ensure that doses are not gradually increased to the point where dependence becomes more likely.
646WAdvice on the management of anxiety and insomnia by doctors is given in Medicines Resource Centre and Drug and Therapeutics Bulletins, which are supplied free of charge to all doctors.