Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve awareness among healthcare professionals of the risk of venous thromboembolism associated with second-generation antipsychotic drugs.

Healthcare professionals are supported by national guidance and safety information to understand and manage the risks associated with antipsychotic medicines, including the risk of venous thromboembolism.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on psychosis and schizophrenia recommends that the choice of antipsychotic medicine is made jointly by the patient and healthcare professional, taking account of possible side effects, and that physical health is monitored during treatment.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) reviewed the risk of venous thromboembolism with antipsychotic medicines in 2009 and issued advice to healthcare professionals. Product information for second-generation antipsychotics includes warnings about this risk, and the MHRA continues to monitor the safety of these medicines.