FOI release

Freedom of Information request on dental anaesthesia (FOI 21/1010)

Published 17 January 2022

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-of-information-responses-from-the-mhra-week-commencing-13-september-2021/freedom-of-information-request-on-dental-anaesthesia-foi-211010

14th September 2021

FOI 21/1010

Dear

Thank you for your email.

We have had one defective medicine alert relevant to dental anaesthesia which can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/all-batches-of-marcain-polyamp-steripack-0-5-bupivacaine-hydrochloride-error-on-carton-and-ampoule-label-about-administration

Also on our website are past editions of Drug Safety Update, our monthly bulletin about medicines safety published on Gov.UK since 2014.

https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update

In 2020 we published an article on changes to the availability of topical lidocaine medicines for teething in infants.

https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/oral-lidocaine-containing-products-for-infant-teething-only-to-be-available-under-the-supervision-of-a-pharmacist

In 2014 we published an article on blood concentration limits for certain controlled drugs (including ketamine as a medicine) and driving.

https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/drugs-and-driving-blood-concentration-limits-to-be-set-for-certain-controlled-drugs-in-a-new-legal-offence

In 2019 we also published a letter from a licence holder to healthcare professionals about short-term supply arrangements for ketamine (Ketalar) injections.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5d56c8efed915d08d586a2a4/DHCP-Ketalar.pdf

Our search included safety information for the following medicines with relevant indications:

  • Lidocaine
  • Ropivacaine
  • Bupivacaine (including combinations with adrenaline)
  • Levobupivacaine
  • Ketamine
  • Esketamine

Please note that organisations other than the MHRA may have issued relevant safety alerts. Many different kinds of alerts can be found on the Central Alerting System https://www.cas.mhra.gov.uk/Home.aspx

Kind regards,

MHRA Customer Service Centre

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