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Drugs: Side Effects

Asked by Lee PitcherLabourDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 8 July 2026UIN 9216

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data the Department holds on the proportion of patients with restless legs syndrome treated with dopamine agonists who have co-existing neurodevelopmental or psychiatric diagnoses, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism or bipolar disorder; and how many had documented impulse control disorders or addictive behaviours before dopamine agonist initiation.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

The information requested on dopamine agonists is not held centrally nor held in the format requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Dopamine agonists encompass a range of medicines authorised for the management of Parkinson’s disease, restless legs syndrome and endocrine disorders in the United Kingdom.

The product information approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are designed to support safe use of the medicine by providing essential information and supporting discussions between patients and the healthcare professionals providing their care.

The MHRA continuously monitors the safety of medicines on the UK market to ensure that warnings and side-effects listed in the product information accurately reflect the available data. The MHRA is currently reviewing whether further action is needed to raise awareness of the existing warnings about impulse control disorders with dopamine agonists.

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