§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what new proposals he has to reduce excessive prescribing of neuroleptic drugs to residents of homes for the elderly. [24755]
§ Mr. MilburnThe responsibility for prescribing, including repeat prescribing, of medication rests with the doctor who has clinical responsibility for the patient's treatment. We have no present proposals to issue guidance on the prescribing of drugs specifically to residents of homes for the elderly.
The Department provides support for doctors in their clinical decisions, providing information through the British National Formulary, the Drug and Therapeutics and Medicines Resource Centre Bulletins and the Prescribers' Journal, copies of which are available in the Library. Advice is also available from most general practitioners' computer systems which have drug databases with facilities to flag up potential interactions with other drugs or diseases, and when patient review is due. We also encourage the use of community pharmacists in the review and management of medication.