§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the numbers of deaths each year due to the effects of all anti-arthritic drugs.
§ Mr. HayhoeI shall let the right hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many adverse reactions, and how many deaths, have been reported to the Committee on Safety of Medicines concerning the drug Piroxicam since 1980; and what is his estimate, having regard to the acknowledged under-reporting of adverse reactions, of the total numbers of adverse reactions and deaths likely to have occurred over this period;
(2) if he will send a specific warning to doctors about the dangers to old people from the arthritis drug Piroxicam;
(3) if he intends to ban the use in the over 60s of the arthritis drug Piroxicam.
§ Mr. HayhoeI refer the right hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Glanford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Hickmet) on 28 January at columns501–502. I will decide whether any action is needed when I have considered the advice of the Committee on Safety of Medicines.
The adverse reaction reports to the committee referred to in the reply were all received since 1980; of that total, the reported deaths were 77. It is very important to bear in mind that a report does not necessarily indicate a causal relationship between a product and a reported reaction. I 619W am advised that the rate of under-reporting adverse reactions cannot be specified and therefore the estimate requested cannot be given.