Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the Commission for Human Medicines has made on its review of how the risk of sexual dysfunction is communicated to patients; and whether that review includes the potential effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

The first meeting of the Expert Working Group (EWG) on antidepressant risk minimisation convened by the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, on the advice of the Commission on Human Medicines, was held on 4 July 2024.

At the initial meeting of the EWG, the terms of reference, scope of work, additional expertise, and plans for patient engagement were discussed. The EWG will consider whether the patient information can be improved and whether additional risk minimisation measures are required for all antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.