Stoate, Howard

That this House expresses its concern about the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) proposal to reclassify products containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine as prescription-only medicines; notes that their reclassification would reduce patient access to a well-used and trusted range of decongestants; further notes that the majority of healthcare and patient bodies and charities that responded to the recent joint inquiry by the All Party Parliamentary Primary Care and Public Health Group and the All Party Parliamentary Drugs Misuse Group into the MHRA's proposals opposed the proposed reclassification; is aware that there is little evidence to support the MHRA's assertion that ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are being used in the UK for the manufacture of methylamphetamine; further notes that the controls in place at present in the UK are no less rigorous than those in any of the countries that have an acknowledged methylamphetamine problem; believes that community pharmacists have the necessary skills and training to ensure that products containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are dispensed safety and appropriately as over the counter medicines; and calls on the MHRA and the Department of Health to ensure that products containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine continue to remain available to patients over the counter.