§ Mr. Wareingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received concerning the use of a drug, the name of which has been supplied to him by the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby; if he is investigating complaints of its adverse side effects; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 30 October 1984]: I have received two letters about Lorazepam (the constituent of Ativan) including that from the hon. Member. I have also received a number of representations about the use of drugs in the class to which Lorazepam belongs, namely benzodiazepines, which are prescribed for the treatment of anxiety.
The adverse reactions which patients taking these drugs may experience are well known to doctors and they are described in the product data sheets. The Committee on Safety of Medicines receives reports of adverse reactions from doctors and uses this information to assess the safety of drugs on the market. The committee has advised that when used as directed the benefits of drugs in this class 1106W outweigh the risks. I accept that advice. The committee will continue to monitor the safety of this class of drugs very closely.