§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidelines his Department issues to GPs prescribing systemic corticosteroids to patients who(a) have not been exposed to chickenpox and (b) are pregnant; and if he will make a statement; [12924]
(2) if he will estimate how many and what percentage of people using corticosteroids carry a steroid treatment card; and if he will make a statement. [12926]
§ Mr. MilburnGuidance on prescribing issues, including the use of systematic corticosteroids, is available to general practitioners from a variety of sources. Publications funded by the Department include the British National Formulary, which is regularly updated and provides advice for all doctors on the choice and safe use of corticosteroids. Copies of the BNF are available in the Library.
No information is available on the number of people using corticosteroids who carry steroid treatment cards.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have died from chickenpox in each of the last five years, indicating those cases in which the deceased had been using systematic corticosteroids when infected; and if he will make a statement. [12925]
764W
§ Ms JowellThe number of deaths from chickenpox in England and Wales reported to the Office for National Statistics are given in the following table:
Mortality for chickenpox in England and Wales 1992–96 Year Number of persons 1992 27 1993 30 1994 23 1995 22 1996 39 Since 1993, ONS codes all the diseases, injuries, drugs, operations and external causes mentioned on death certificates by the certifying doctor or coroner, in addition to the underlying cause of death. Only one of the 114 deaths certified as due to chickenpox, from 1993 to 1996 inclusive, explicitly mentioned the use of corticosteroids. The timing of the drug treatment in relation to the date of infection is not available.