§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make it his policy to tighten monitoring procedures on psychotropic drugs, in the light of the withdrawal of triazolam;
(2) if he will establish an inquiry into the conduct of the Committee on Safety of Medicines with respect to triazolam; and if he will make a statement;
(3) if, following the withdrawal of triazolam, he will now undertake a study into the safety of the other benzodiazepines; and if he will make a statement;
(4) for how many years triazolam was available in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyEvidence of quality, safety and efficacy is required before any product is licensed. The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) continually monitors the safety of all such licensed medicinal products including drugs of the benzodiazepine group.
Where new evidence emerges which suggests that a safety problem may exist for a particular drug or group of drugs, all available evidence is reviewed and the drugs placed under intensive surveillance. The existing pro-cedures allow for tightened monitoring whenever appropriate.
Triazolam was first licensed for marketing as a medicinal product in the United Kingdom in 1978. The CSM has frequently reviewed its safety, but hitherto there was insufficient evidence to associate triazolam with any significant safety hazard at the doses employed in the United Kingdom. After careful consideration of the evidence which only recently became available, the committee recommended that the product be withdrawn from clinical use.
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§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of prescriptions issued by community pharmacists in Great Britain in 1990 for each individual benzodiazepine.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe information requested is as follows:
Benzodiazepines—Great Britain 1990 Drug group Prescriptions (millions) Temazepam 5.3 Diazepam 3.9 Nitrazepam 3.8 Triazolam 2.1 Lorazepam 1.4 Chlordiazepoxide 0.7 Oxazepam 0.5 Loprazolam 0.1 Lormetazepam 0.1 Clonazepam 0.1 Clobazam 0.06 These figures are estimates based on a sample of prescriptions of approximately one in 200 in England and Wales and one in 100 in Scotland which were dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors.
§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what responsibility will be assumed by his Department for the dependence on triazolam of patients prescribed the drug;
(2) what will be done to assist those currently dependent on triazolam to come off these drugs.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe clinical care of a patient, including that of dependence, is the responsibility of the physician in charge of the patient. The problem of dependence following prolonged treatment with triazolam and other benzodiazepines has been recognised for a number of years. The Committee on Safety of Medicines has recommended restrictions on the use of benzodiazepi-nes in order to reduce the risk of dependence. In the case of patients taking triazolam prior to its withdrawal, the Committee has recommended re-assessment of their therapeutic needs.
The provision of treatment services for drug misusers, including those dependent on prescribed drugs, is the responsibility of local health authorities. The Government have made available to health authorities nearly £16.5 million in the current year for use in developing and expanding services for all drug users.
§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current estimate of the number of people in Great Britain taking benzodiazepines on a regular basis; and if he will take steps to discourage such use.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyTo discourage the improper use of benzodiazepines, these products are licensed only for short-term use in patients with severe anxiety or insomnia. Guidance from the Committee on Safety of Medicines on the correct use of benzodiazepines has been issued to all prescribers. Information on numbers of people in Great Britain taking benzodiazepines on a regular basis is not held centrally.