Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will list the name and manufacturer of the opioids approved by NICE; and the number of prescriptions for each of those drugs in each year for which data is available.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published technology appraisal guidance recommending the use of methadone and buprenorphine for the management of opioid dependence. As this was a multiple technology appraisal, multiple companies were involved - MSD Ltd, Martindale Pharmaceuticals, Mylan, Rosemont Pharmaceuticals, and Thornton and Ross Ltd.

The Department does not hold data on the number of opioid prescriptions. However, NHS Digital holds data based on prescriptions written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community in England. This data is available as prescription item level data by presentation for opioid analgesics as listed in the British National Formulary (BNF), which is attached. We do not hold data which identifies the manufacturer of each item dispensed.

There is no central National Health Service collection of information on medicines issued and used in NHS hospitals in England.