Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 53
53
Accepted
Paragraph: 186
Change public health guidance for diamorphine provision to allow multi-dose vials.
Recommendation
We recommend that public health guidance on the provision of diamorphine be changed to allow for the use of multi-dose vials instead of single-use ampoules to mitigate the additional cost and supply chain pressures associated with single-use ampoules.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government accepted the recommendation, stating existing guidance already permits multi-dose vials, and NHS England has committed to reviewing this guidance to ensure it remains current.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
186
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
The Government accepts this recommendation as the existing guidance already recognises the use of multi-dose vials. The Injectable opioid treatment: commissioning and developing a service guidance20 sets out the circumstances and governance arrangements that should be in place to support both the pharmaceutical integrity of the product and patient safety, including the use of multi-dose vials where appropriate. NHS England has committed to reviewing this guidance to ensure it remains current. We are concerned by the effect the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the provision of needle and syringe programmes. The UK must continue its efforts in preventing the spread of blood-borne viruses by ensuring needle and syringe programmes reach as wide a population as possible.
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