§ Mr. LoveTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps NICE is taking to monitor(a) the use of and (b) adverse reactions to Ritalin in children; and if he will make a statement. [144486]
§ Ms StuartThe National Institute of Clinical Excellence does not itself monitor the use of and adverse reactions to particular medicines. Monitoring the use of medicines is a matter for local clinical governance arrangements. The monitoring of adverse reactions is carried out by the Committee on Safety of Medicines/Medicines Control Agency (CSM/MCA). Health professionals are encouraged to submit voluntarily to the CSM/MCA reports of suspected adverse drug reactions via the yellow card scheme. These reports, together with data from other sources, are continuously reviewed to identify previously unrecognised hazards or new information on known hazards which might require regulatory action.