Named patient basis prescribing is a scheme which allows a doctor to prescribe an unlicensed drug to a particular `named patient'. It is only an option for drugs whose manufacturer is prepared to release it on this basis, and has to be arranged by the doctor on an individual basis. Some companies are unwilling to release unapproved drugs in this way.

The next step is for your doctor to find out what conditions are attached to the use of the drug. The drug company may require you to have passed certain medical tests before providing the drug, in order to avoid damaging side-effects. For instance, if someone wanting ddI will have to undergo tests to ensure that they will not be vulnerable to pancreatitis.

The doctor must inform the patient that the drug has unproven benefits and that there are unknown risks attached to the use of the drug. This protects a doctor against liability. A GP can only be proved liable if he/she has not taken reasonable steps to treat you according to his/her experience and knowledge of the particular illness. This distributes the responsibility between you and your doctor when choosing an experimental therapy, but doesn't protect you against incompetence.

If you want to use a drug on a named patient basis, you may feel more confident doing it under the supervision of a doctor who has some experience of treating HIV disease. Similarly, a doctor with little experience in this field may be more reluctant, for entirely ethical reasons, to prescribe drugs on this basis. In this case, you might want to find a new doctor.