Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which the commissioning guidance for the NHS and local government on how to respond to the needs of people who are addicted to prescription and over the counter medicines, published by Public Health England in June 2013, has been implemented.

No assessment has been made of the extent to which the commissioning guidance has been implemented. Responding to the needs of people who are addicted to prescription and over the counter medicines is the responsibility of local authorities and the National Health Service in each area. Local authority and clinical commissioning group commissioners should work together to ensure that there are appropriate services and interventions available to meet the needs of their local populations.

Public Health England supports local commissioners to better understand and address local need, by publishing guidance and supplying information about people in touch with specialist substance misuse services who are being treated for addiction to medicines.

People who have developed problems with prescription and over the counter medicines should seek help from their general practitioner (GP) in the first instance. Specialist advice for GPs and support for patients with complex and severe problems is available from substance misuse services in each local authority across the country.