§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what representations he has had about the use of the substance known as Eraldin in the treatment of angina;
(2) what investigations are now being conducted by his Department into the use of the substance Eraldin in the treatment of angina; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. OwenEraldin is the trade name for practolol and has been available in the United Kingdom since 1970. It was used for the treatment of high blood pressure, angina and disorders of heart rhythm, and several representations about it have been received from hon. Members and individuals.
In the course of routine monitoring of all drugs, the Committee on Safety of Medicines in 1974 received a number of reports of adverse effects, involving eye and skin disorders, deafness and, in rare cases, intestinal obstruction. In view of the serious nature of these reports, warning letters were circulated to doctors by the manufacturer and by the Committee informing them of these unpredicted 167W hazards. The use of Eraldin has been restricted to patients in hospital, where it is only administered for the short-term treatment of disorders of heart rhythm and where clinical benefit cannot be obtained with alternative forms of treatment.
This experience illustrates the great importance of doctors reporting to the Committee on Safety of Medicines suspected adverse drug reactions.