§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice he has given to area health authorities for monitoring the side effects of Eraldin; what is the total number of cases referred to each area health authority by community health authorities in each area authority; how many of these cases are in the North-West Region; and what action he proposes to take.
§ Mr. MoyleThe monitoring and treatment of side effects is a matter for doctors, who have been urged to report all suspected adverse reactions to the Committee on Safety of Medicines. Doctors have been fully informed about the possible hazards of Eraldin (practolol) 351W tablets, which were withdrawn from the market in 1976.
By 30th November 1977 the Committee on Safety of Medicines had received 1,623 reports of suspected adverse reactions in patients who had been treated with Eraldin. It is likely that a proportion of the reports relate to events which would have occurred independently or which were due to concurrently administered drugs and bear no relation to treatment with Eraldin. Figures are not available on a regional basis.