Policy paper

Terms of reference: expert reference group for the prescribed medicines review

Updated 14 November 2018

1. Background and project objectives

In October 2017, Steve Brine MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care) wrote to Duncan Selbie, the Chief Executive of Public Health England (PHE) commissioning PHE to undertake a review of the scale and distribution of dependence, and the short term discontinuation or longer term withdrawal symptoms associated with prescribed medicines, and the optimal means of reducing it.

PHE will explore and analyse relevant data and review the up-to-date evidence on dependence, and the short term discontinuation or longer term withdrawal symptoms associated with prescribed medicines. The primary objective of the report is to give policy makers and local areas an objective assessment of the data and evidence. In addition, the report will provide evidence-based recommendations on policy and effective prevention and treatment interventions.

PHE’s Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco and Justice Division (Health Improvement Directorate) has established a project team to implement this work, and the expert reference group’s primary role will be to inform and guide it.

The review will bring together the best available evidence on:

  • prevalence and prescribing patterns
  • the nature and likely causes of dependence and the short term discontinuation or longer term withdrawal symptoms associated with prescribed medicines among some people who take these medicines
  • effective prevention and treatment of dependence and discontinuation syndrome for each drug category

Included within the scope of the review are:

  • adults (age 18 and over)
  • dependence and discontinuation syndrome
  • benzodiazepines, Z-drugs, GABA-ergic medicines, opioid pain medications, antidepressants
  • community prescribing

2. Outline of functions

Members of the reference group will contribute to the success of the project by:

  • informing the approach and providing support for the project as a whole
  • ensuring advice is available on the key issues
  • commenting on draft versions of the written report as requested
  • advising on the quality, limitations and appropriate use of evidence
  • highlighting relevant practice and implementation issues relevant to the review and signposting the review team to further information on such issues
  • ensuring a focus throughout on how the findings will be used and presented
  • assisting in the development of PHE’s recommendations, ensuring they are realistic and based on the strongest interpretation of findings from the review

Members can expect the project team to:

  • give reasonable time to provide feedback
  • alert them to potential risks and issues that could impact the project, as they arise

3. Meetings

Three meetings will be held over the course of the project. A fourth meeting may be held if required. Meetings will be held in London. The secretariat will be provided by PHE. The agenda and meeting papers will normally be circulated a week before the meeting.

4. Review of terms of reference

The terms of reference have been discussed at the first expert reference group meeting and amendments made where relevant.

5. Confidentiality

Reference group members are asked not to disclose any information shared in the meeting if they think it may have an impact on another member of the group or adversely affect the project. While the meetings are not confidential, frank discussion and the sharing of views will enhance the work. This may be inhibited if members feel comments will be publically attributed to them out of context. At times there may be specific information shared that is confidential and not to be shared outside of the group and this will be made explicit.

6. Declarations of interest

Each member of the external expert reference group and the project team will be asked to complete a declaration of interest form which will be registered with Public Health England. Declarations will be summarised in the final report and published online.

7. Membership and representation

Membership will include:

Members
Yasir Abbasi Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Nav Alhuwalia Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust
Louis Appleby Centre for Mental Health and Safety
Ruth Bastable Royal College of General Practitioners
Paul Chrisp National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
James Davies All-Party Parliamentary Group on Prescribed Drug Dependence
Sarah Dennison Care Quality Commission
Colin Drummond Royal College of Psychiatrists
David Geddes NHS England
Natalie Gold Public Health England Behavioural Insights Team
Ben Goldacre Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) DataLab. University of Oxford
Graeme Henderson University of Bristol
Gregor Henderson Public Health England Mental Health
Tracey Hogan The Bridge Project
John Hughes Faculty of Pain Medicine
Martyn Hull Primary care
Cathryn Kemp Expert by experience
Jane Lothian British Medical Association
Jim McManus Association of Directors of Public Health
Luke Montagu Expert by experience
Peter Pratt NHS England
John Read British Psychological Society
Sarah Rann Royal College of General Practitioners
Gul Root Department of Health and Social Care
Graham Sanderson Primary care
Nikki Seddon Primary care
Cathy Stannard Pain specialist
Lucy Williams Royal College of Anaesthetists

Others able to attend meetings include:

Observers
Tim Baxter Department of Health and Social Care
Rachel Clark Public Health England (Risk Factors Intelligence)
Monica Desai National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Felix Greaves Public Health England (Science and Strategic Information)
Mike Kelleher Public Health England (Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco and Justice)
Rhian Hills Substance Misuse Policy, Welsh Government & Corporate Business
Alpana Mair Head of Effective Prescribing and Therapeutics, Scottish Government
John Marsden Public Health England (Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco and Justice)
Gary Maxwell Health Development Policy Branch, Department of Health- Northern Ireland
Jose Miyar Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Nicola Parkinson Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Clare Perkins Public Health England (Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco and Justice)
Lynda Scammell Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Marcus Starling Home Office
Anh Tran Public Health England (Knowledge and Library Services)
Martin White Public Health England (Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco and Justice)
Secretariat
Fizz Annand Public Health England (Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco and Justice)
Pete Burkinshaw Public Health England (Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco and Justice)
Lauren Oyinloye Public Health England (Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco and Justice)
Garry Stillwell Public Health England (Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco and Justice)
Steve Taylor Public Health England (Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco and Justice)