XN000022-1994-03-07 — Page 5

BANNING OF DRUGS

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 1994

IN RESPONSE TO MEDIA ENQUIRIES ON THE BANNING OF METAMIZOLE AND AMINOPHENAZONE; A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN GAVE THE FOLLOWING REPLY:

AMINOPHENAZONE WAS DE-REGISTERED ON JANUARY 1, 1984.

IN 1982 A DECISION WAS TAKEN BY THE PHARMACEUTICAL REGISTRATION METAMIZOLE COMMITTEE OF THE PHARMACY AND POISONS BOARD TO DE-REGISTER

1984 ON ACCOUNT OF ITS POTENTIAL TO WITH EFFECT FROM JANUARY 1, BLOOD DISORDER (AGRANULOCYTOSIS).

CAUSE

AND BENEFITS POISONS APPEAL

AN APPEAL WAS LODGED BY A MANUFACTURER. THE RISKS THE DRUG WERE FULLY EVALUATED BY THE PHARMACY AND TRIBUNAL.

OF

SCIENTIFIC STUDY TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE RESULTS OF A

DRUG PUBLISHED IN 1986- ON THE MAGNITUDE OF THE ADVERSE EFFECT OF THE

NOT ENTIRELY FREE FROM AND THAT

FOR THE DRUGS WERE ALTERNATIVES

WERE MERITS NOT ΤΟ ADVERSE EFFECTS, IT WAS CONSIDERED THAT THERE WITHDRAW METAMIZOLE.

IN VIEW OF THE POSSIBLE

METAMIZOLE IS PRESCRIPTION-ONLY ITEM. ADVERSE EFFECTS IT IS GENERALLY RECOMMENDED THAT IT SHOULD BE USED FOR SERIOUS CONDITIONS WHERE NO ALTERNATIVE IS AVAILABLE OR SUITABLE.

0

DRIVERS URGED TO ASSIST IN TAXI SURVEY

TAXI

READING SURVEY

DRIVERS SELECTED TO TAKE PART IN A METER SHOULD COME FORWARD WITHIN THIS WEEK TO OFFER THEIR HELP, A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

JOINED THE

THE SPOKESMAN SAID MORE THAN 900 URBAN TAXIS HAD

HELP THE TRANSPORT SURVEY LAST WEEK IN PROVIDING DATA WHICH WOULD

THE ADEQUACY DEPARTMENT ASSESS FUTURE FARE APPLICATIONS AND REVIEW OF TAXI SERVICE IN URBAN AREAS.

THE

THE SPOKESMAN URGED OTHER NETER READING SURVEY BECAUSE

SELECTED TAXI DRIVERS TO ASSIST IN

OF [TS IMPORTANCE TO THE TRADE.

A TWO- THE SURVEY, WHICH STARTED FROM FEBRUARY 28, COMPRISES

TAXI WEEK METER READING SURVEY AND A QUESTIONNAIRE TO BE RETURNED BY DRIVERS. THE SURVEY AIMS AT FINDING DATA ON THE TRADE'S OPERATIONS AND FINANCE.

FOUR THOUSAND TAXI DRIVERS WERE CHOSEN RANDOMLY FROM THE 15,000 URBAN TAXIS IN A RATIO OF ONE TO FOUR IN THIS SURVEY,

/THEY ARE