§ Dr. IddonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on what date the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances first reviewed Nutriprem 2; what recommendations that Committee made about its suitability for prescription; and if those recommendations have been implemented; [158193]
(2) on what date his Department first received an application from the manufacturers of Nutriprem 2 for the product to be available on prescription; and when he will announce a decision on this matter. [158190]
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which advisory committees of his Department have considered the suitability of Nutriprem 2 for availability on prescription; when that consideration was undertaken; what conclusions were reached; if those conclusions have been implemented; and if he will make a statement; [158319]
(2) if he has received an application from the manufacturers of Nutriprem 2 for their product to be made available on prescription; and if he will make a statement. [158321]
287W
§ Ms Stuart[holding answer 23 April 2001]: Pre-term infant formulae were originally considered by the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (ACBS) in 1992. Their conclusion at that time was that prematurity was not a medical condition and that it would not be appropriate for such formulae to be supplied on national health service prescription. In consequence, pre-term infant formulae have been included in Schedule 10 to the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992, and may not therefore be prescribed on the NHS.
An application for an ACBS recommendation for Nutriprem 2 was made on 8 February 1999 which the Committee considered at its meetings on 29 March and 15 June of that year and on 31 January 2000. At its meeting on 31 January 2000, the Committee decided to reverse its earlier view and agreed to recommend Nutriprem 2 as suitable for prescription by GPs at NHS expense for catch-up growth in pre-term infants (ie less than 35 weeks at birth), and small in size for gestational aged infants, until six months post-natal age. Unfortunately, at that time, the fact that Nutriprem 2 was included in schedule 10 was overlooked. At its meeting on 16 May 2000, the Committee recommended that Nutriprem 2 should be removed from schedule 10.
The Department has been considering whether the reasons which the Committee has given for reversing its earlier decision are sufficiently convincing to justify the additional cost to the NHS of removing this product from schedule 10. We expect to announce our decision in due course.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average period is between a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances that a product is suitable for prescription and a decision to implement that decision; and what the average period of consideration given by his Department is to recommendations from that Committee in respect of Nutriprem 2. [158320]
§ Ms Stuart[holding answer 23 April 2001]: General practitioners may prescribe any product which they consider to be a drug, unless it is included in schedule 10 to the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations, provided they are prepared to justify their decision to the health authority. The Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances provides advice to the National Health Service, the effect of which is that prescriptions issued in accordance with the Committee's advice will not normally be investigated. Generally, therefore, there is no decision for the Department to take when the ACBS has recommended that a product is suitable for prescription. Indeed, I know of no case other than pre-term infant formulae where the ACBS has recommended as suitable for prescription products which cannot be prescribed because they are included in schedule 10. There is thus no average time with which to compare the time taken to consider the ACBS's recommendations on these products.