§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will make a statement on the recent report on the drug imipramine, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Liverpool, Exchange;
(2) what further steps he will take to warn of the possible danger of taking 64W the drug imipramine during the early part of pregnancy.
§ Sir K. JosephThe latest information from the Australian Drug Evaluation Committee indicates that the earlier reports were inaccurate. Of the cases reported only one of the mothers is now said to have taken imipramine during pregnancy. This further information will be brought to the attention of the Committee on Safety of Medicines.
Abnormalities of the kind reported may occur spontaneously and too much significance should not be placed at this stage, and in the absence of further evidence, to this single reported case.
Many women are treated with drugs during pregnancy, or may become pregnant while undergoing treatment with drugs. Imipramine is a valuable and widely used drug for the treatment of psychiatric disturbances and it is for the patient's doctor to weigh carefully the benefit of treatment with the drug against the possible hazards when prescribing for women of child-bearing age
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the safety of the drug imipramine, and if he will call for an early report from the Committee on the Safety of Medicines into its use.
§ Dr. John A. Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he is taking with respect to recent reports concerning imipramine; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir K. JosephI would refer the hon. Members to my reply to the hon. Member for Halifax (Dr. Summerskill) on 13th March.—[Vol. 833, c.27–8.]