§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will list in the Official Report the names of the products which the Committee on Safety of Medicines recommended should not be used for the treatment of allergic conditions;
(2) if he will seek to ensure that details of any inactive ingredients in drugs, which are known to harm some patients, should be declared on package labels.
§ Dr. VaughanI regret that it would be disproportionately costly to prepare the list requested by the right hon. Gentleman. In advising the licensing authority on product licence applications, the Committee on Safety of Medicines take into account the effects on allergic conditions of both the active and inactive ingredients. Where there is reason to believe that one of the ingredients might affect an allergic condition it advises either that the drug should not be given to patients suffering from that condition or that a warning be included in product literature and labelling. Before agreeing to any extension of this practice, I would need to be satisfied that any additional labelling of medicinal products was essential and practicable.