§ Mr. Michael McNair-Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of streptomycin deafness are known to his Department; and what research his Department has undertaken into the relationship between certain types of drugs and deafness.
§ Mr. AlisonInformation on some hundreds of cases of impairment of hearing due to streptomycin and associated antibiotics has been published throughout the world since its introduction. It is well known that deafness is not an uncommon side effect of prolonged treatment with these antibiotics. Research on deafness is included in the Medical Research Councils' field of activity. The Council is currently supporting work on 65W ototoxicity in drugs under its scheme of research grants. In 1970 the Committee on Safety of Drugs was asked to review the matter, but, in view of the adequacy of warnings on the subject in standard references and in the manufacturer's literature, concluded that no additional safeguarding action was necessary.