§ 11.25
§ Baroness MASHAM of ILTONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware that some skin medications are injurious to eyes, and do not carry a warning to this effect on their containers.
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, I am aware that some skin medications are not suitable for application to the eye. Regulations on the labelling of medicinal products which will be laid before Parliament very shortly will include a provision that in the case of non-prescribed medicines any warnings and precautions which the product licence requires to be addressed to the patient or his attendant shall be shown on the label.
In the case of prescribed medicines it is generally regarded as the responsibility of the prescribing doctor to decide what warnings should be given to the patient. The general question of information to patients on prescribed medicines is under consideration by the Medicines Commission. If the noble Baroness would like to indicate exactly which medications she has in mind I will consider whether any further action is necessary.
§ Baroness MASHAM of ILTONMy Lords, while thanking the Minister for that Answer—and perhaps I may have a 655 word with him afterwards as there is a shortage of time—may I ask whether he is aware that on many occasions a doctor prescribes and there appears on the label the words, "apply as prescribed by the physician"? The physician sometimes forgets to tell the patient how many times to apply the medication and sometimes the patient passes it on to somebody else, including children; not sufficient information is on the package and there might be lasting danger?
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Baroness, but this is a situation which I do not think we can deal with. If the doctor prescribes medicine and he fails to tell the patient whether it is to be taken once, twice, three or four times a day, before or after meals, I do not think there is anything we can do about that. With the greatest respect, I should have thought that there was an obligation upon the patient to go back to the doctor, or to telephone the surgery, and ask how often it should be taken, or presumably the chemist could be asked. I think of necessity the obligation must be on the patient to find this out.
§ Baroness MASHAM of ILTONMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that, with regard to the National Health Service, very much bulk packing is done by the manufacturers and the instructions that go to the chemist are not passed on to the consumer?
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, I would not know what percentage of medications or information about them reaches the general practitioner, but there is a data sheet with every product that is issued. I think most general practitioners receive all of them at one stage or other. My information is that on the data sheet there must be shown what are the good aspects and what are the side effects, so that the doctor knows; therefore in prescribing them he should know not only how often it should be taken but what the side effects are likely to be.
Viscount ST. DAVIDSMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that a lot of these medicines go to very old people, many of whom are rather forgetful and some of whom are not very clear as to what the 656 doctor has said? Therefore, it is very important that anything that can be written should be written so that they may read it if they forget the instructions they have been given.
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, this is a situation for which I do not see how we can legislate. I do not see that there is anything we can do: As the noble Viscount has pointed out, there are difficulties, but I do not see how society can deal with this matter unless there is somebody who is visiting the aged person and who can take this job on.
§ Lord SEGALMy Lords, in the case of non-prescribed skin medications which may be bought over the counter, would my noble friend not agree that, in addition to stating on the medicines that they are injurious to the eyes, some extra warning ought to be given that protective covering may be needed in the case of young people where the medication has to he applied locally to the face? It is most important that the fullest instructions should be made available where non-prescribed medicaments are concerned.
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, we would be in complete agreement with that. In our view, the application of warnings on medicines is an important matter. It is a matter which the Medicines Commission is considering at the present moment, and on which it is about to have discussions both with the British Medical Association and the Pharmaceutical Society.
§ Lord PEARTMy Lords, we have now spent 25 minutes on Questions, and I think we should proceed to urgent Business.
§ Lord DRUMALBYNMy Lords, this is the second time that the noble Lord the Lord Privy Seal has cut out a Member of our Front Bench. This is very unusual. We know that the noble Lord is new to this and he is doing it very well, but this is still very unusual.
§ Lord PEARTMy Lords, I sense the feeling of noble Lords on both sides of the House. There have been previous Front Bench speeches.