Re:action 27: The West Midlands CSM release their latest bulletin. Main issues, General Practitioner reports plummet, SSRI’d and bleeding, confusion with COX-II’s, nicorandil anal-ulceration and angioedema with clopidogrel.
Highlight of 2003?: Well this has to be the extension of ADR reporting to the public via NHS Direct. In the past the concern has been that such reports would lead to increased noise in surveillance systems from poor quality ADR reports. A recent review [van Grooheest K, de Graaf L, de [...]
Highlights of the Yellow Card Scheme: The MHRA has released some highlights of the Yellow Card Scheme this year. My own personal favourite bit is "This year has seen a rise in reporting from hospital and community pharmacists, resulting in a significant increase of 8% on 2001. ", but then I’m biased. Nice [...]
CSM West Midlands Bulletin published: Reaction 27 now on-line in PDF format.
Telithromycin and Myasthenia Gravis: "Recent reports, including one fatal case, indicate aggravation of myasthenia gravis or severe respiratory failure in patients treated with Ketek (telithromycin)"Full Public Statement [PDF] from EMEA
Disease Awareness Campaigns: The MHRA have published DISEASE AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS
GUIDELINES [PDF]
"The primary purpose of a DAC must be to increase awareness of a disease or
diseases and to provide health educational information on that disease and its
management. It should not promote the use of a particular medicinal product or
products. Campaigns which aim to stimulate demand [...]
Failures of Drug Treatment:
"The following are only some examples of failures in drug treatment. In 2001 the top five best selling medicines globally were atorvastatin, omeprazole, simvastatin, lansoprazole, and amlodipine, although available evidence indicates that only two of these drugs are first choice in their class. In recent years, various non-essential non-innovative drugs had to [...]
More on drug-related admissions: More on drug related admissions in a PDF format…Bhalla N, Duggan C, Dhillon S. The incidence of drug-related admissions to hospital. The Pharmaceutical Journal 2003; 270: 583-586
10% of admissions related to drug use. Of these 18% related to drug-therapy failures, 52% Adverse Drug Reactions and 30% to overdose [...]
The Empire Strikes Back: A while back I reported an editorial critical of current Pharma policies on funding of patient groups. "Is it too much to expect the professional journal of all pharmacists in Britain to support the aims and efforts of the pharmaceutical industry, rather than demeaning and criticising it?" The Pharmaceutical [...]