§ Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has received the advice of the Medicines Commission on drugs containing oxyphenbutazone; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe Medicines Commission has recently heard the representations made by Geigy Pahrmaceuticals Ltd. against the advice of the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) that the product licences for Tandacote and Tanderil tablets which contain oxyphenbutazone should be revoked on grounds of safety. The commissions has now confirmed the advice of the CSM that the licences should be revoked and I have accepted that advice on behalf of the licensing authority. We are putting in hand measures to revoke the product licence for these products. The company has been informed of our decision and it will be writing to chemists by 18 May asking them to return unused stocks to wholesalers riot later than 8 June. Chemists will be reimbursed in full for 143W stocks returned by that date. The company is also writing to doctors to advise them that the product will no longer be available.