Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why they do not collect data centrally on benzodiazepine dependence.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Accurate data on benzodiazepine dependence is not currently available. The Department has commissioned Public Health England (PHE) to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence. As part of this review PHE will attempt to estimate the number of people affected including through prescription data collected by NHS Business Services Authority.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the training of doctors sufficiently covers the need to avoid withdrawing dependence forming medicines too quickly, given the adverse impacts on patients that can occur.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to understand better the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence. The review will consider existing evidence and engage with a variety of stakeholders, with a view to capturing levels of awareness amongst both healthcare professionals and patients of the issues associated with prescription drug dependence.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the training of GPs sufficiently covers the need to avoid prescribing dependence forming medicines for longer than the safe period.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to understand better the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence. The review will consider existing evidence and engage with a variety of stakeholders, with a view to capturing levels of awareness amongst both healthcare professionals and patients of the issues associated with prescription drug dependence.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise awareness amongst GPs of the problems arising for patients suffering from the impact of long-term use of dependence forming medicines.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to understand better the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence. The review will consider existing evidence and engage with a variety of stakeholders, with a view to capturing levels of awareness amongst both healthcare professionals and patients of the issues associated with prescription drug dependence.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the study by James Davies et al Long term Benzodiazepine and Z-drugs use in the UK: A survey of general practice, published in the British Journal of General Practice vol. 67 (662) in May 2017, which found that more than a quarter of a million people in the UK are likely to be taking highly dependency forming hypnotic medication far beyond the recommended timescales.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence. The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing, the nature and likely causes of dependence or withdrawal among some people who continue to take these medicines and effective prevention and treatment responses for each indication. The study by James Davies et al will be considered as part of this review.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to establish a national helpline for people affected by dependence on prescribed drugs.
Answered by Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen
The Government has no plans to introduce a national helpline specifically to support people affected by prescribed drug dependence. People who feel that they might be dependent on either prescribed or over the counter medicines should seek help from a health professional in the first instance, such as a general practitioner (GP) or pharmacist. Help and advice is also available from the 111 helpline or the online NHS Choices service. People who have developed problems with benzodiazepines, antidepressants, painkillers and other medicines should seek help from their GP in the first instance. Specialist advice for GPs and support for patients with complex and severe problems is available from substance misuse services which are available in each local authority across the country.
The Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence. The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing, the nature and likely causes of dependence or withdrawal among some people who continue to take these medicines and effective prevention and treatment responses for each indication.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to commission specific guidelines for the NHS that cover withdrawal from prescription drugs.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Government is concerned about the impact of long term use of benzodiazepines by National Health Service patients and other dependence forming medicines prescribed in primary care. The National Centre for Social Research recently published Prescribing Patterns in Dependence Forming Medicines, which reviewed data for 50,000 NHS patients in England and looked at those who had been prescribed at least one of four types of potentially addictive drugs - known as Dependence Forming Medicines - between 2000 and 2015. The data shows that potentially dependence forming medicines are widely prescribed in primary care.
The report highlights that a balance needs to be struck between avoiding prescribing that might lead to dependence or other harms and ensuring proper access to medicines to relieve suffering and treat disorders with. The report notes that clinical guidance recommending more cautious and time limited prescribing of benzodiazepines may well have been effective in changing practice, with reductions in the extent and length of benzodiazepine prescribing. It also suggests close and ongoing monitoring of opioid prescribing is needed. This independent research was commissioned and funded by the National Institute for Health Research Policy Research Programme. A copy of the report is attached.
In the light of this research, the Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence.
The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing; the nature and likely causes of dependence or withdrawal among some people who continue to take these medicines; and effective prevention and treatment responses for each indication.
The recently-updated National Clinical Guidelines for Drug Misuse and Dependence, Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management, have specific guidance about pharmacological management of dependence on benzodiazepines and z-drugs, including prescribing regimens, detoxification, adjunctive therapies and monitoring. The guidelines are attached.
There is relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance available for primary care prescribers for example on benzodiazepine and z-drug withdrawal.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what actions they are taking to discourage the use of dependence-forming medicines prescribed in primary care.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Government is concerned about the impact of long term use of benzodiazepines by National Health Service patients and other dependence forming medicines prescribed in primary care. The National Centre for Social Research recently published Prescribing Patterns in Dependence Forming Medicines, which reviewed data for 50,000 NHS patients in England and looked at those who had been prescribed at least one of four types of potentially addictive drugs - known as Dependence Forming Medicines - between 2000 and 2015. The data shows that potentially dependence forming medicines are widely prescribed in primary care.
The report highlights that a balance needs to be struck between avoiding prescribing that might lead to dependence or other harms and ensuring proper access to medicines to relieve suffering and treat disorders with. The report notes that clinical guidance recommending more cautious and time limited prescribing of benzodiazepines may well have been effective in changing practice, with reductions in the extent and length of benzodiazepine prescribing. It also suggests close and ongoing monitoring of opioid prescribing is needed. This independent research was commissioned and funded by the National Institute for Health Research Policy Research Programme. A copy of the report is attached.
In the light of this research, the Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence.
The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing; the nature and likely causes of dependence or withdrawal among some people who continue to take these medicines; and effective prevention and treatment responses for each indication.
The recently-updated National Clinical Guidelines for Drug Misuse and Dependence, Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management, have specific guidance about pharmacological management of dependence on benzodiazepines and z-drugs, including prescribing regimens, detoxification, adjunctive therapies and monitoring. The guidelines are attached.
There is relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance available for primary care prescribers for example on benzodiazepine and z-drug withdrawal.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of trends in the use of dependence-forming medicines prescribed in primary care.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Government is concerned about the impact of long term use of benzodiazepines by National Health Service patients and other dependence forming medicines prescribed in primary care. The National Centre for Social Research recently published Prescribing Patterns in Dependence Forming Medicines, which reviewed data for 50,000 NHS patients in England and looked at those who had been prescribed at least one of four types of potentially addictive drugs - known as Dependence Forming Medicines - between 2000 and 2015. The data shows that potentially dependence forming medicines are widely prescribed in primary care.
The report highlights that a balance needs to be struck between avoiding prescribing that might lead to dependence or other harms and ensuring proper access to medicines to relieve suffering and treat disorders with. The report notes that clinical guidance recommending more cautious and time limited prescribing of benzodiazepines may well have been effective in changing practice, with reductions in the extent and length of benzodiazepine prescribing. It also suggests close and ongoing monitoring of opioid prescribing is needed. This independent research was commissioned and funded by the National Institute for Health Research Policy Research Programme. A copy of the report is attached.
In the light of this research, the Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence.
The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing; the nature and likely causes of dependence or withdrawal among some people who continue to take these medicines; and effective prevention and treatment responses for each indication.
The recently-updated National Clinical Guidelines for Drug Misuse and Dependence, Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management, have specific guidance about pharmacological management of dependence on benzodiazepines and z-drugs, including prescribing regimens, detoxification, adjunctive therapies and monitoring. The guidelines are attached.
There is relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance available for primary care prescribers for example on benzodiazepine and z-drug withdrawal.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the impact on patients of the long-term use of benzodiazepines by NHS patients.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Government is concerned about the impact of long term use of benzodiazepines by National Health Service patients and other dependence forming medicines prescribed in primary care. The National Centre for Social Research recently published Prescribing Patterns in Dependence Forming Medicines, which reviewed data for 50,000 NHS patients in England and looked at those who had been prescribed at least one of four types of potentially addictive drugs - known as Dependence Forming Medicines - between 2000 and 2015. The data shows that potentially dependence forming medicines are widely prescribed in primary care.
The report highlights that a balance needs to be struck between avoiding prescribing that might lead to dependence or other harms and ensuring proper access to medicines to relieve suffering and treat disorders with. The report notes that clinical guidance recommending more cautious and time limited prescribing of benzodiazepines may well have been effective in changing practice, with reductions in the extent and length of benzodiazepine prescribing. It also suggests close and ongoing monitoring of opioid prescribing is needed. This independent research was commissioned and funded by the National Institute for Health Research Policy Research Programme. A copy of the report is attached.
In the light of this research, the Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence.
The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing; the nature and likely causes of dependence or withdrawal among some people who continue to take these medicines; and effective prevention and treatment responses for each indication.
The recently-updated National Clinical Guidelines for Drug Misuse and Dependence, Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management, have specific guidance about pharmacological management of dependence on benzodiazepines and z-drugs, including prescribing regimens, detoxification, adjunctive therapies and monitoring. The guidelines are attached.
There is relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance available for primary care prescribers for example on benzodiazepine and z-drug withdrawal.