HC Deb 13 February 1996 vol 271 c557W
Ms Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people who have died as a result of side effects of drugs in each of the last five years. [14060]

Mr. Malone

The available information on deaths recorded by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in England and Wales as a result of adverse effects of drugs, medicaments and biological substances is shown in the table.

Deaths in England and Wales due to drugs, medicaments and biological substances causing adverse effects in therapeutic use (ICD E930-E949) as underlying or secondary cause
Year Number of deaths
1990 108
1991 84
1992 93

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what new plans he has to reduce deaths and serious illnesses caused by medicines. [13303]

Mr. Malone

We already have in place well-established systems for licensing and monitoring the safety of all medicines available in the United Kingdom, which ensure that the benefits of medicines outweigh any risks and prevent users coming to unnecessary harm. These systems continue to be developed, in particular to take advantage of advancements in drug development and pharmacoepidemiology.