Written question asked by Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party) on Tuesday, 15 July 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 17 July 2025. It was answered by Karin Smyth (Labour) on Tuesday, 22 July 2025 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Gabapentin

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential link between the use of gabapentin and cognitive impairment in patients.

Answer

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department and regulates medicine, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy. Medicines are authorised on the basis that the benefits exceed the risks, and all products are licensed by the MHRA before being placed on the market.

Product information for gabapentin currently carries warnings of potential side effects of confusion, mental impairment, amnesia, and anxiety, and therefore patients should be advised to exercise caution until they are familiar with the potential effects of the medicinal product. All new safety information continues to be carefully considered, and regulatory action will be taken if considered necessary.

All medicines have side effects, although not everyone will experience them. The MHRA encourages anyone who suspects or experiences a side effect of their medicine to report it to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 68010
Session: 2024-26
Subjects: Gabapentin
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Gabapentin

Secondary information

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