Written question asked by Nicholas Winterton (Conservative) on Monday, 9 April 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 25 April 2001. It was answered by Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston (Labour) on Wednesday, 25 April 2001 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To 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. - (Holding answer 23 April 2001).

Answer: Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To 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.

Secondary information