§ Mr. LoydenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health for how many patients and in which areas the drug thalidomide has been prescribed in the last five years. [17391]
§ Mr. MaloneThis information is not available centrally.
§ Mr. LoydenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines have been issued to hospital trusts about the purchasing of the drug thalidomide from abroad; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [17406]
§ Mr. MaloneThere are no guidelines specifically relating to the purchase of the drug thalidomide from abroad. Decisions made by national health service trusts on the purchase of drugs to meet patients' needs and on the most appropriate source of supply, are made with the input of clinicians and pharmacists, in accordance with the Medicines Acts 1968 and 1971. "Guidance on thalidomide" was published by the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Medicines Control Agency in the446W May 1994 issue of "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance" a drug safety bulletin which is circulated to all doctors, dentists, pharmacists and coroners. This guidance note strongly advised all doctors considering the use of thalidomide to follow detailed external guidelines on the clinical use and distribution of thalidomide which were published in a widely available medical journal. A reminder was published in July 1995. Copies of both the May 1994 document and that of July 1995 are available in the Library.