§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action has been taken by the Committee on Safety of Medicines on the drug Corwin; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyI refer the right hon. Member to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Sir Michael McNair-Wilson) on 21 June at columns677–78.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates there are of the number of prescriptions of Corwin to patients with severe heart conditions.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyI refer the right hon. Member to the reply that I gave the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 21 June at column678. Prescriptions do not indicate the nature of severity of the patient's condition.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will request the Committee on Safety of Medicines to re-evaluate the evidence about the heart drug Corwin and to reconsider its recommendations.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe safety profile of Corwin has been closely monitored since its introduction onto the market in May 1988 by inclusion on the Committee on Safety of Medicine's (CSM) intensive monitoring scheme 247W for all newly marketed products. The CSM has reviewed all the evidence related to the safety profile of the product on a number of occasions. Restrictions have been placed on the use of the product following re-consideration by CSM as recently as January 1990. Doctors were informed of these restrictions in a letter from ICI Pharmaceuticals, who market the product, and in CSM's bulletin "Current Problems" number 28, a copy of which is available in the Library. The use of Corwin is now to be initiated only in hospital after careful assessment of the patient who is to be regularly followed up. The CSM is satisfied that the product can be used safely if these recommendations are followed, but will continue to monitor the situation carefully.