To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they will give to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence about the report that 40 per cent of medicines routinely prescribed for long-term conditions are not being used as the prescription requires. [HL86]

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence issued its clinical guideline on medicines adherence in January 2009. In addition, the department has commissioned research into the reasons why people do not take their medicines as prescribed and we expect the results of this research shortly. We will then consider the research findings to determine what impact they might have on future policy.