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<p>The Parliamentary under Secretary of State (Steve Brine MP) commissioned Public
Health England (PHE) to review the evidence for dependence on, and withdrawal from,
prescribed medicines. The review was launched in January 2018 and is due to report
in spring 2019 and we await its findings. It is the responsibility of local authorities
to commission services, such as the provision of withdrawal centres for addiction
to prescribed medicines, to meet assessed local need. The Government currently has
no plans to increase the number of these centres.</p><p>The Government has no plans
to introduce a separate national helpline to support people affected by prescribed
drug dependence. Help and advice on prescribed drug dependence is already available
from the 111 helpline or NHS Choices. 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 or pharmacist).</p><p>PHE’s
review includes prescribed benzodiazepine drug dependence but will not consider evidence
further back than 10 years ago. There are no plans to establish a public inquiry into
prescribed benzodiazepine drug dependence.</p>
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