Information is not available in respect of the number of prisoners who have been prescribed methadone to treat heroin addiction in each of the last five years. Data are available on the total number of methadone treatments in prison in each of the last five years and are shown in table 1.

We are informed by Public Health England that data are not collected centrally on spending by prisons on methadone prescriptions. Data are available on total funding allocations for clinical drug treatment to primary care trusts in prisons over the last five years and are shown in table 2. However, the totals include spending on both detoxification and maintenance based interventions and it is not possible to extract methadone prescription costs from the data.

From April 2011, the total allocation included funding for psychosocial interventions which had previously been funded by the National Offender Management Service. In 2012-13 the total included funding for the young persons’ secure estate and for immigration removal centres.

Information is not available in respect of the number of prisoners who have been prescribed methadone to treat heroin addiction in each of the last five years. Data are available on the total number of methadone treatments in prison in each of the last five years and are shown in table 1.

We are informed by Public Health England that data are not collected centrally on spending by prisons on methadone prescriptions. Data are available on total funding allocations for clinical drug treatment to primary care trusts in prisons over the last five years and are shown in table 2. However, the totals include spending on both detoxification and maintenance based interventions and it is not possible to extract methadone prescription costs from the data.

From April 2011, the total allocation included funding for psychosocial interventions which had previously been funded by the National Offender Management Service. In 2012-13 the total included funding for the young persons’ secure estate and for immigration removal centres.

Community pharmacies play an integral role in local drug treatment systems by dispensing opioid substitute medicines such as methadone and sterile needles and syringes. Together these interventions are a proven way to keep blood borne viruses rates relatively low among injecting drug users. Independent research has shown that introducing supervised methadone dosing (where a pharmacist oversees the consumption of opioid substitute medicines) was followed by substantial declines in related overdose deaths.

Drug treatment encompasses a range of treatments and services which help people overcome their dependency and reduce the physical and psychological harms caused by drugs to themselves, their families and communities. So although community pharmacies dispensing methadone are an important part of any drug treatment system, it is difficult to isolate its particular effectiveness in reducing drug dependence.

However we know that overall the drug treatment system is helping more and more people to overcome their addiction. The latest drug treatment figures show that 29,855 successfully completed their treatment in 2011-12, compared with 11,208 in 2005-06.

The net ingredient cost of methadone dispensed in the community in England is shown in the following table:

NHS Prescription Services is unable to provide data on how much has been paid to community pharmacies to dispense methadone prescription items as extracting information on the applicable fees for methadone prescriptions would incur a disproportionate cost.

It is the role of each responsible clinician to decide which drug is clinically most appropriate for the treatment for opioid dependence following careful assessment of, and discussion with each client. It expected that these decisions should be in line with clinical guidance. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines recommended the use of both methadone and buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid dependence, but made clear the need for clinicians, to make sure that each patient is aware of all the risks associated with this treatment, both to themselves and to others.

Clinical guidelines for drug treatment recommend that most new patients being prescribed methadone or buprenorphine should take their daily doses supervised

by a pharmacist (or other professional) for around three months. One of the key reasons for this practice is to reduce diversion of substitute drugs into the illegal market. It has also been shown to reduce drug-related deaths. The responsible clinician can decide to relax, stop, or re-start supervised consumption depending on their patient's progress in tackling their drug dependency.

I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer I gave him on 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 862W. Data on whether doses of methadone or other opioid substitutes are rising, constant or reducing are not held centrally.

This information is not collected centrally. The National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) collects information on the number of people receiving structured treatment for drug dependence in England, including substitute prescribing interventions. In accordance with National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines, to support someone's recovery from dependence, opioid substitutes may be prescribed for the purposes of stabilisation, maintenance or reducing opioid use. However, the NDTMS does not distinguish between methadone and other opioid substitutes or whether doses are rising, constant or reducing.

Since 10 June 2010 Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) have published a total of 37 overview reports of serious case reviews (SCRs). These relate to SCRs both initiated and published since 10 June 2010. These include one death of a child from ingesting methadone, Bristol Child K, which was published 4 September 2012.

In addition the Department is aware of approximately 120 executive summaries of SCRs which have been published by LSCBs since 10 June 2010. The Department does not hold data on which of these cases related to methadone ingestion.

Data on the number of pregnant women prescribed methadone are not collected centrally.

The International Classification of Diseases system (ICD-10) is used to classify diseases treated in hospital. The ICD-10 code used to identify neonatal withdrawal symptoms from maternal use of drugs, P96.1, does not allow for the identification of individual drugs.

Between 2007 and 2011, the latest year for which data are available, there were no deaths attributed to neo-natal withdrawal symptoms from maternal use of drugs.

The Government will respond in full to the Home Affairs Committee’s report, ‘Drugs: Breaking the cycle’, in due course.

Key existing advice on opiate substitution therapy is contained in the Department’s guidance, “Drug Misuse and Dependence: UK Guidelines on Clinical Management”, which has already been placed in the Library, and in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence appraisal of methadone and buprenorphine, “Methadone and buprenorphine for the management of opioid dependence”. A copy of the appraisal has been placed in the Library.

Information is not held centrally on the number of people prescribed particular medicines or the medical condition being treated. The NHS Prescription Services does however hold information on the number of methadone prescription items dispensed in England, supplied free of charge or paid for at the point of dispensing. Information for the latest complete calendar year is provided as follows.

For dispensing oral liquid methadone on prescription, contractors are paid a professional fee (90p) and a Schedule 2 controlled drug (CD) fee (128p) for each dispensing episode. Contractors are also paid a fee of £4.05 per prescription. For other formulations of methadone, the contractor is only paid the professional fee and Schedule 2 CD fee for each dispensing episode.

Fees are agreed nationally as part of funding for the community pharmacy contractual framework. They are not set by individual primary care trusts.

The net ingredient cost of methadone for the most recent complete five years is provided in the following table. These figures do not include dispensing fees or any other costs associated with prescribing methadone, which can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Information is not held centrally on the number of people prescribed particular medicines or the medical condition being treated. The NHS Prescription Services does however hold information on the number of methadone prescription items dispensed in England, supplied free of charge or paid for at the point of dispensing. Information for the latest complete calendar year is provided as follows.

For dispensing oral liquid methadone on prescription, contractors are paid a professional fee (90p) and a Schedule 2 controlled drug (CD) fee (128p) for each dispensing episode. Contractors are also paid a fee of £4.05 per prescription. For other formulations of methadone, the contractor is only paid the professional fee and Schedule 2 CD fee for each dispensing episode.

Fees are agreed nationally as part of funding for the community pharmacy contractual framework. They are not set by individual primary care trusts.

The net ingredient cost of methadone for the most recent complete five years is provided in the following table. These figures do not include dispensing fees or any other costs associated with prescribing methadone, which can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Information is not held centrally on the number of people prescribed particular medicines or the medical condition being treated. The NHS Prescription Services does however hold information on the number of methadone prescription items dispensed in England, supplied free of charge or paid for at the point of dispensing. Information for the latest complete calendar year is provided as follows.

For dispensing oral liquid methadone on prescription, contractors are paid a professional fee (90p) and a Schedule 2 controlled drug (CD) fee (128p) for each dispensing episode. Contractors are also paid a fee of £4.05 per prescription. For other formulations of methadone, the contractor is only paid the professional fee and Schedule 2 CD fee for each dispensing episode.

Fees are agreed nationally as part of funding for the community pharmacy contractual framework. They are not set by individual primary care trusts.

The net ingredient cost of methadone for the most recent complete five years is provided in the following table. These figures do not include dispensing fees or any other costs associated with prescribing methadone, which can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

This information is not collected centrally.

Marketing authorisation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, has only been sought for racemic methadone. Levo-methadone has not been authorised in the United Kingdom and data in support of its efficacy have not been submitted for evaluation.