HC Deb 28 January 1986 vol 90 cc499-500W
Mr. Hickmet

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what complaints, representations or comments have been made to his Department about the drug Feldene and its effects upon patients; and if he will describe the nature of the said complaints, representations and comments stating what investigative action his Department is carrying out or is proposing to carry out into or about Feldene;

(2) what advice his Department has given, is giving or is proposing to general practitioners and other doctors and patients about prescribing Feldene or piroxicam;

(3) what information he has about the drug Feldene or its generic equivalent, and its effects upon patients; if he will describe the nature of the information available to him, stating what investigations and action his Department is carrying out or is proposing to carry out into or about Feldene or its generic equivalent;

(4) if he will make a statement on his policy on the prescription of the drugs Feldene and piroxicam following the recent study by the Committee on Safety of Medicines.

Mr. Hayhoe

Piroxicam (trade name Feldene) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug licensed for the treatment of gout and pain and inflammation in rheumatic disease and other musculo-skeletal disorders. I am advised that piroxicam, like other drugs in the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory class, can cause adverse reactions; advice to doctors on these is contained in the British National Formulary and in prescribing literature. The Committee on Safety of Medicines has received some 2,440 reports from doctors of suspected adverse reactions to piroxicam since the product was first marketed; an analysis of these reports is available from the CSM to doctors. All such reports are evaluated by the committee, which keeps the safety of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs under close surveillance.

I am advised that there is nothing to add at present to the prescribing advice contained in the British National Formulary. The Committee on Safety of Medicines is currently making a further special review of the safety of non-steroidal drug, including piroxicam.