§ Mr. Gareth Wardellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to increase the conspicuousness of warning labels on those drugs which, when taken in combination with alcohol increase the risks of driving a motor vehicle.
§ Mrs. Currie[pursuant to her reply, 26 January 1987, c.927]: The Transport and Road Research Laboratory is at present carrying out a long-term research study into this complex question of causal links between medication and road accidents in collaboration with the national poisons centre at New Cross hospital. When the results are available, the Government will consider whether they should propose amendments to the Medicines (Labelling) Regulations. At present these Regulations require explicit warnings not to drive or operate machinery, and to avoid alcohol, on the labels of those anti-histamine medicines which are obtainable without a doctors' prescription; for prescription medicines the data sheets advise doctors of the particular precautions, warnings, and contraindications, with a view to appropriate advice being given to the individual. Proposals to amend the Regulations would, under Section 129(6) of the Medicines Act, require consultations with those concerned, including the health professions and the pharmaceutical industry.
512W
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his reply, 15 January 1987, c.302]: The table shows the information requested so far as this is readily available. International comparisons of this kind are affected by different definitions of what constitutes health care and the relative costs of health care. These differences and many others mean that precise comparisons cannot be made.
The Government will, of course, continue to stress the risk to drivers of alcohol itself.