SSRI ANTI-DEPRESSANTS

Early day motion 1056, tabled 26 February 2008 by Jim Dobbin (Labour). Signed by 66 members.

That this House welcomes the Department of Health's announcement to increase the provision of talking therapy for depression; notes Professor Irving Kirsch's study of the manufacturer's trials of the SSRI anti-depressants Prozac, Seroxat and Efexor and his conclusion that these drugs are not effective; notes that there is zero cost-effectiveness to drugs that do not work; further notes that large numbers of people are involuntarily addicted to these drugs and suffer bizarre and severe side effects which leave them unable to work; calls upon the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence to review the approval of these drugs; calls upon the Government to provide withdrawal clinics for people addicted to prescribed drugs; further calls upon the Government to provide appropriate rehabilitation to bring these people back into the workforce; urges the Government to organise controlled withdrawal of these drugs from the market; and further urges the Government to investigate how the manufacturers and distributors obtained product licences and to implement the recommendations of the Fourth Report of the Health Committee, Session 2004-05, on the Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry, HC42-1, including an independent review of the UK drug licensing authority the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

Signatures by party: Labour 44, Liberal Democrat 15, Conservative 2, Independent 2, DUP 1, Scottish National Party 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.