Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of research by the Universities of Tehran Medical Sciences and Birmingham into the effectiveness of the polypill in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke; and what plans they have to use the polypill for NHS patients.

The full study results have not been evaluated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency as no application to market the product in the United Kingdom has been received.

Currently, there are no polypills (containing multiple medicines) approved in the UK or Europe. Specific combinations of two medicines for blood pressure control or a statin and aspirin only at appropriate doses are licensed and available for use in the UK for those patients with high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

There are safety risks combining multiple medicines and using them as a public health preventative strategy particularly in people who have no symptoms or diagnosable disease. These arise from interactions between medications including potentiation of effects, individual differences and susceptibilities as well as long term effects. Prior to licensing such a polypill combination, these aspects will need to be evaluated.