§ Mr. Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the five most frequent sources of reported allergies deriving from(a) food, (b) over the counter medicines and (c) prescription only medicines and the number of recorded cases in each category during the last 12 months for which figures are available. [78996]
§ Ms JowellIt is not possible to list the five most frequent sources of reported allergies deriving from food because information on the number of cases is not available. However, foods which can induce allergic reactions in some individuals include peanuts and nuts, wheat, eggs, fish, shellfish, milk and seeds.
825WThe five drug substances for which suspected allergic reactions to medicines have been reported most frequently through the Yellow Card Scheme since 1964 are: amoxycillin, diclofenac, trimethoprim, bacillus clostridium tetani and measles virus vaccine. These drug substances were included in both single constituent and multi-constituent products and are only available on prescription.
For drug substances which may be supplied over the counter, the five most common drug substances for which these suspected reactions have been reported through the Yellow Card Scheme since 1964 are: ibuprofen, pyridoxine, ascorbic acid, riboflavine and nicotinamide. These drug substances were included in both single constituent and multi-constituent products.
This information should not be used to compare the drugs. It is not possible to determine the incidence of a particular adverse drug reaction from spontaneous reporting data because neither the total number of reactions occurring, nor the number of patients exposed to the drug in known. The number of suspected adverse drug reactions reported for a particular drug substance depends on various factors, including the extent of use of the drug and the reporting rate for the drug.