§ Audrey WiseTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pregnant women were given benzodiazepines in(a) the community and (b) hospitals in 1996. [40416]
§ Mr. MilburnIt is not possible to identify the number of prescriptions dispensed to pregnant women.
§ Audrey WiseTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many benzodiazepine prescriptions have been issued for the last 10 years; and what assessment he has made of trends in prescriptions over this period. [40414]
§ Mr. MilburnThe total number of prescription items dispensed in England for benzodiazepines from 1987 to 1996 is shown in the table. The table shows a consistent decrease in the number of prescriptions dispensed for benzodiazepines over the period.
Benzodiazepines: number of prescriptions dispensed, 1987 to 1996—England million Year Prescriptions 1987 20.6 1988 18.7 1989 17.3 1990 16.5 1991 16.6 1992 15.8 1993 15.2 1994 14.6 1995 14.3 1996 13.9 Notes:
- 1. 1987 to 1990 data are based on fees and on a 1 in 200 sample of prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only.
- 2. Data from 1991 are based on items and cover all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and personal administration.
§ Audrey WiseTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken by his Department(a) to reduce the number of benzodiazepine prescriptions and (b) to assist involuntary addicts to come off such drugs. [40458]
§ Mr. MilburnThe principal focus of the Department's action has been to try to prevent addiction occurring by warning general practitioners and other prescribers of the dangers of addiction to benzodiazepines. The Department funds a number of publications that are available to general practitioners, pharmacists and other health professionals, eg. the British National Formulary and the Medicines Resource Centre monthly bulletin.
The Department continues to fund MIND (the mental health charity), which operates local self-help groups for people dependant on tranquillisers.
§ Audrey WiseTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were issued in 1996 for benzodiazepine drugs to people aged over 65 years(a) in the community and (b) in hospitals. [40459]
§ Mr. MilburnIn 1996, 7.6 million benzodiazepine prescription items were dispensed in the community to patients 60 and over in England. The figure is based on a 1 in 20 sample of all prescriptions submitted to the Prescription Pricing Authority by community pharmacists424W and appliance contractors only. Information for the number dispensed by dispensing doctors or in hospitals is not available.
§ Audrey WiseTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the prescriptions for benzodiazepines for 1996 were for periods of more than 14 days. [40417]
§ Mr. MilburnIt is not possible to identify the number of prescriptions which were for periods longer than 14 days.
§ Audrey WiseTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of long-term users of prescribed benzodiazepine drugs. [40415]
§ Mr. MilburnInformation on the number of long-term users of benzodiazepines is not available.
§ Audrey WiseTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is issued to patients taking benzodiazepine drugs in respect of contra-indications for taking these drugs during pregnancy. [40456]
§ Mr. MilburnPatient information leaflets produced by the manufacturer and authorised by the Licensing Authority for benzodiazepines carry warnings that patients should not take the medicine if they are pregnant, might become pregnant or are breast-feeding. The product information for prescribers states that benzodiazepines should not be given during pregnancy unless there are compelling medical reasons. There are however some medical conditions in pregnancy where the use of these drugs can be life saving to mother and child, for example when used to control fits in eclampsia.