§ Mr. Berminghamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many persons, male and female, were admitted to hospital in the United Kingdom for treatment for the side effects of drugs in the benzodiazepine group in the years 1980, 1981, and 1983;
(2) what was the nature of the side effects for which people were admitted to hospital in the United Kingdom resulting from the taking of prescribed drugs in the benzodiazepine groups in the years 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 9 November, c. 49]: We do not collect the detailed information requested on hospital admissions centrally. The side effects and adverse reactions associated with benzodiazepines are well known and described in the data sheets for prescribers prepared by the manufacturers. They rarely give rise to the need for hospital admission unless an overdose has been taken.
173W
§ Mr. Berminghamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether his Department will publish the results of research sponsored by it into the side effects of taking drugs in the benzodiazepine group.
(2) what research has been sponsored by his Department into the side effects of prescribed drugs in the benzodiazepine group in the years 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 9 November, c. 49]: The Government support research into this topic through the Medical Research Council, the Government-funded body supported mainly under a grant-in-aid from the science Vote of the Department of Education and Science.
The council has informed us that the total costs of the projects listed below which it has supported during the four financial years have been:
£ 1980–81 332,000 1981–82 389,000 1982–83 336,000 1983–84 404.000 The projects, by chronological order of starting date within these four financial years (with finishing dates where they are no longer being supported) are as follows:
Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford
Chronic effects of centrally active drugs and their metabolites on brain chemistry and structure including gas — phase chromatography—mass spectroscopy. Started 1 November 1972, finished 1 December 1983.Institute of Psychiatry, London
Psychophysiological and Biochemical measures in the assessment of Psychotropic drug effects. Started 1 April 1976.University of Wales, College of Medicine, Cardiff
Investigation of improved methods of treatment and biochemical factors in affective disorders. Started 1 April 1976.MRC Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Oxford
Development of methods for monitoring drug therapy in individual patients: Psychotropic drugs. Started 1 April 1976, finished 31 March 1982.Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, London
An alternative approach for the manipulation of Gaba activity in the brain. Started 1 January 1980, finished 31 December 1982.Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, Middlesex
Clinical studies of Psychotropic drugs: modes of action and physiological and biochemical correlates. Started 1 April 1980.MRC Brain Metabolism Unit, Edinburgh
Cellular and clinical studies of effective disorders. Started 1 April 1980, finished 31 March 1982.Department of Pharmacology, University of Bristol
Behavioural and biochemical investigations on the mode of action of benzodiazepines and their long term effects. Started 1 January 1981, finished 31 December 1983.MRC Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Oxford
Clinical studies of the mechanisms of action of ECT, Antidepressent drugs and new drugs for depression and anxiety. Started 1 April 1982.Department of Physiology, University of Oxford
Behavioural, Electrophysiological and Neurochemical effects of anxiolytic and anti-depressent treatments. Started 1 April 174W 1982.Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford
Mechanisms involved in toxicity and in the development of tolerance shown by centrally active drugs. Started 1 October 1982, finished 30 September 1984.Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Psychiatry. London
Behavioural pharmacology of the benzodiazepine receptor complex. Started 4 October 1982.Department of Pharmacology. Institute of Psychiatry. London
Psychometric performance and neuroradiological measures in long term benzodiazepine users. Started 1 January 1983.MRC Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Oxford
Clinical biochemical pharmacology of depression and anxiety. Started 1 April 1983.Department of Psychology, Birkbeck College, London
An investigation of the role of brain gaba in the anti-anxiety effects of benzodiazepines. Started 3 October 1983.