§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what current reviews his Department is undertaking or has commissioned concerning prescribed drugs which lead to dependency; what advice has been given to doctors and patients on this issue; what estimate he has of the number of people regularly receiving the drug Lorezepam; what information he has as to any side-effects of Lorazepam, Valium and Librium; if he will take steps to establish an investigation into any detrimental sid-effects of the drug Lorazepam; what guidelines are issued by his Department to general practitioners relating to Lorazepam; and if he will take steps to encourage Wyeth Laboratories to compensate people who have become dependent on Lorazepam.
§ Mrs. Currie[holding answer 22 April 1988]: The Committee on Safety of Medicines has recently completed a review of the problem of dependence on benzodiazepines, and has issued advice to doctors and pharmacists in "Current Problems No. 21", which is in the Library. The Department is not currently conducting any specific reviews on dependence in relation to other prescribed drugs, but advice on the risks of dependence on certain drugs is contained in the British National 133W Formulary which the Department sends regularly to all NHS doctors and pharmacists. It is for doctors to decide what advice to give to patients about the risk of dependence on prescribed medicines.
Over 3 million prescriptions for Lorazepam were issued in 1986 by general practitioners in Great Britain. It is not possible to estimate reliably how many patients were involved.
Information about side effects of Lorazepam, Valium and Librium is available in the ABPI data sheet compendium and in the BNF, copies of which are in the Library.
We have no current plans plans for a further investigation into the side effects of Lorazepam. In addition to the guidelines for all benzodiazepines, including Lorazepam, in "Current Problems No. 21" and the BNF, the data sheet provided by the manufacturer of A tivan, the leading brand, has recently been revised to the satisfaction of the CSM.
The issue of compensation is a matter for the parties concerned.