§ Mr. Berminghamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if there were any complaints to the 329W Committee on Safety of Medicines concerning drugs containing benzodiazepine in the years 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982 concerning side effects or other matters; and if he will give details of each such complaint.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 30 January 1984, c. 112]: The Committee on Safety of Medicines received reports of suspected adverse reactions associated with benzodiazepine drugs in the years in question as follows:
Type of reaction suspected 1979 1980 1981 1982 Skin disorders 28 33 16 41 Musculo-skeletal disorders 3 1 2 4 Central, peripheral and automatic nervous system disorders 47 57 55 49 Sensory disorders 9 14 11 2 Psychiatric disorders 42 62 41 81 Gastro-intestinal disorders 13 13 15 15 Liver and biliary disorders 6 7 5 1 Metabolic and nutritional disorders 1 3 6 3 Endocrine disorders — 1 — 1 Cardiac disorders 3 4 2 1 Respiratory disorders — 2 1 4 Blood disorders 7 4 3 3 Urinary disorders 2 — 2 2 Reproductive disorders 2 2 1 3 Foetal disorders 6 2 1 2 Neoplasms 1 — — — Other disorders 11 6 4 10 It is important to remember that a report does not necessarily imply a causal link between the drug and the event.