Phenobarbitone

HC Deb 13 June 1995 vol 261 cc424-5W

Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reports of adverse reactions have been referred to the Committee on Safety of Medicines in respect of products containing phenobarbitone in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [27573]

Mr. Sackville

The tables shows the number of reports of adverse reactions received by the Committee on Safety of Medicines in respect of products containing phenobarbitone for each of the last five years. A report of a suspected adverse reaction does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the drug. Other factors, including the underlying disease of the patient or other drugs taken by the patient, may be contributing.

Year	Number of reports
1990	4
1991	0
1992	2
1993	1
1994	2

Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prescriptions for products containing phenobarbitone have been written for people with epilepsy in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [27574]

Mr. Malone

Information about the use of phenobarbitone products is contained in the table. It is not possible, however, from central data to identify the clinical conditions for which the drug has been prescribed.

Prescription items dispensed containing phenobarbitone, England, 1990 to 1994
Thousands
Chemical entity	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994
Phenobarbitone	547.8	543.9	513.0	480.5	453.0
Phenobarbitone and Phenytoin	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Phenobarbitone Sodium	0.6	2.6	2.1	0.5	1.2
Total	548.6	546.5	515.1	481.0	454.2

Notes:

1. The data are from the prescription costs analysis system.

2. The data for 1990 are not consistent with data from 1991 onwards. Figures for 1990 are based on fees and on a sample of one in 200 prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only. Figures from 1991 are based on items and cover all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered.

3. Prescriptions dispensed in hospitals and private prescriptions are not included.