§ Dr. Wyndham Daviesasked the Minister of Health (1) if he is aware of the statement made by the City Analyst for Birmingham that cheap drugs imported from the Continent as raw material and used for the National Health Service under Section 46 of the Patents Act have led to failures of quality; and what is his policy on this matter;
(2) if he will take steps to protect National Health Service patients against dangers to health presented by cheap foreign drugs imported under Section 46 of the Patents Act.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonI do not accept that drugs imported for hospital use under Section 46(1) of the Patents Act, 1949, have failed in quality or have represented any danger to health nor that the recent Birmingham report has said so. Apart from the certificates of analysis provided by the overseas manufacturers whose production arrangements have been inspected by my officials, a sample of each batch has been analysed by the Government chemist before the batch has been released to hospitals. Similar arrangements for quality control will be made for any future imports of drugs under Section 46(1) of the Patents Act, 1949.
§ Dr. Wyndham Daviesasked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the statement made by the City Analyst for Birmingham concerning quality control by pharmaceutical firms producing drugs in this country and their methods of dealing with complaints; and what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on this matter.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonI have seen a report of an interview on the subject of quality control with the Research Chemist of the Birmingham Analytical Laboratories. It is the Government's intention to introduce as soon as Parliamentary time permits comprehensive medicines legislation, which will include provisions designed to secure adequate quality control.