§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) when the Committee on Safety of Medicines will have completed its special review of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; and if he will place a copy of the completed report when it is available in the Library;
(2) what is the nature of the close surveillance of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs currently being carried out by the Committee on Safety of Medicines; who is undertaking the work; how it is being done; to what extent the manufacturing companies are involved; and what is the cost of the surveillance.
§ Mr. HayhoeI understand that the committee, assisted by its medical and administrative secretariat, is carrying out a special scrutiny of the adverse reactions and product usage data and of professional literature reports on these products. The secretariat is in touch with manufacturing companies about usage data that might be available. It is not known at present when the review will be completed or how much it will cost, though I am advised that costs will be met from budgeted expenditure for Medicines Act activities. I understand that the committee intends to communicate with the profession in the light of its findings. Copies of material issued by the committee will be placed in the Library.