§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if the Committee on Safety of Medicines or his Department knows of any hospitals which have banned or discontinued the use of Depo-Provera; if any reasons have been given; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if the Committee on Safety of Medicines has received any inquiries or complaints from hospitals consultants regarding the adverse side effects of Depo- 200W Provera; if such complaints would be counted as yellow card complaints; if the Committee on Safety of Medicines has followed up such inquiries and complaints; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. VaughanFour yellow card reports of suspected adverse reactions to Depo-Provera have been submitted to the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) by hospital medical staff, including one consultant. It has not been considered necessary, on the basis of the clinical information given in the reports to follow these up with the doctors concerned. I am aware of no complaints from doctors or consultants to the CSM about the side effects associated with Depo-Provera though a few doctors have inquired about the drug; any such inquiries which also reported a suspected adverse reaction would be recorded in the same way as a yellow card report.
I know of no decision to discontinue the use of Depo-Provera in any particular hospital: this would be a matter for the clinical judgment of the doctor or doctors concerned.