Antidepressant safety warnings
Ward seeks similar safety measures in Ireland to Britain's review of suicidal thoughts and behaviour associated with antidepressants, citing bereaved families' campaigning. Butler outlines suicide-prevention efforts but does not specify whether similar measures will be introduced.
Earlier this month in Britain, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency announced that new safety measures were being implemented for all patients taking antidepressant medications. This follows the completion of a detailed review involving patients and their families of how the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours are associated with these medications.
Campaigners such as Ms Stephanie McGill-Lynch from my area and Mr. Jim Connell from Meath lost their children by suicides that were related to side-effects of prescribed medications. They have been calling for similar measures to Britain's to be introduced in Ireland in the interest of patient safety. Will the Health Products Regulatory Authority, HPRA, adopt the changes implemented in Britain? If not, we will have a situation where patients in neighbouring counties, such as Fermanagh and Cavan, will be getting different information about the dangers of the medication they are taking. Can this disparity be justified in the interest of patient safety? What does the Government plan to do to address it?
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. As he will be aware, we launched the new national suicide reduction and self-harm reduction strategy earlier in the year. Since 2000, we have seen a 33% reduction in suicides in Ireland. Every suicide is one too many. Currently, our number is 8.6 per 100,000 in the Republic of Ireland and we want to get to a complete reduction of that. The lowest number of suicides anywhere in Europe is 6 per 100,000 in the likes of Cyprus and Malta, which has been put down to the fact there are some benefits from being in sunlight.
A worrying statistic is that the number of suicides in Northern Ireland is double that in the Republic of Ireland at 16.5 per 100,000. The deputy chief medical officer, Professor Philip Dodd, is in contact with the Northern Ireland Minister for Health, Robbie Butler MLA - no relation. I met him recently about the suicide challenges being dealt with in the North.
I will certainly refer the Deputy's question to the Chief Medical Officer, CMO's office and the Irish College of Psychiatry because anything we do will have to be evidence-based.