Drug Safety Update: Volume 2, Issue 1 August 2008

In this issue

Drug safety advice

• Antiepileptics: suicidal thoughts and behaviour
• Recombinant human erythropoietins: new recommendations for treatment of anaemia in cancer

Yellow Card scheme update

• Serious versus severe reactions

Hot topic

• Thalidomide and lenalidomide for multiple myeloma

Stop Press

• Moxifloxacin: restricted use
• Caffeine for apnoea of prematurity: check dose regimen before use
• Accusol 35 solutions: precipitate formation during haemofiltration
• Intrathecal drug pumps: disrupted drug delivery
• Metronidazole for Clostridium-difficile-associated diarrhoea: use oral formulation

Other information from the MHRA

• Patient Information Leaflet of the month: AmBisome
• Unlicensed medicines
• Advertising complaints
• Public consultation: supply and administration of medicines by the armed forces