Drug Safety Update

Drug Safety Update is essential reading for all healthcare professionals, bringing you the very latest information and advice to support the safer use of medicines. 

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Latest Drug Safety Updates

• 08 Feb 2010 | Drug Safety Update: Volume 3, Issue 7, February 2010
  

  The February issue of ‘Drug Safety Update’ includes drug safety advice for the immunosuppressant tacrolimus, and an update on the obesity medicine orlistat.

• 13 Jan 2010 | Drug Safety Update: Volume 3 Issue 6, January 2010
  

  The January issue of ‘Drug Safety Update’ includes drug safety advice for gadolinium-containing contrast agents, and for the antiepileptic phenytoin in patients of Thai or Han Chinese ethnic origin.

• 03 Dec 2009 | Drug Safety Update: Volume 3, Issue 5, December 2009
  

  The December issue of ‘Drug Safety Update’ includes drug safety advice for ciclosporin (prescribe and dispense by brand name), and for finasteride (potential risk of male breast cancer). Why not also try the end-of-year Drug Safety Update quiz?

• 03 Nov 2009 | Drug Safety Update: Volume 3, Issue 4, November 2009
  

  The November issue of ‘Drug Safety Update’ includes drug safety advice for: bisphosphonates (osteonecrosis of the jaw); vigabatrin for infantile spasms (risk of movement disorders and MRI abnormalities); colchicine (reminder on risk of serious and fatal toxicity in overdose); and for orciprenaline sulphate (withdrawal due to unfavourable benefit-risk profile).

• 07 Oct 2009 | Drug Safety Update: Volume 3 Issue 3, October 2009
  

  The October issue of ‘Drug Safety Update’ includes: drug safety advice for ceftriaxone and high-dose cyproterone acetate; and hot topics on interactions between smoking status and medicines, and on aspirin for prevention of thrombotic vascular disease.

• 07 Sep 2009 | Drug Safety Update: Volume 3 Issue 2, September 2009
  

  The September issue of ‘Drug Safety Update’ includes information on recent studies of cancer risk with insulin glargine; an update on the impact of measures to contain the misuse of the nasal decongestants pseudoephedrine and ephedrine in the illicit manufacture of methylamphetamine; and information on a package of measures to minimise the risk of overuse and addiction to over-the-counter (OTC) medicines that contain codeine or dihydrocodeine.

• 12 Aug 2009 | Drug Safety Update: Volume 3 Issue 1, August 2009
  

  The August issue of ‘Drug Safety Update’ includes safety information on oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) for pandemic swine influenza A/H1N1. There is also information on the safety of herbal products, and on monitoring the impact of regulatory action taken by the MHRA.

• 06 Jul 2009 | Drug Safety Update: Volume 2 Issue 12, July 2009
  

  The July issue of ‘Drug Safety Update’ includes: drug safety advice for an interaction between clopidogrel and proton pump inhibitors; an update from epidemiological studies on the potential risk of myocardial infarction with abacavir; and a Hot topic article on the use of long-acting β-agonists in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

• 03 Jun 2009 | Drug Safety Update: Volume 2 Issue 11, June 2009
  

  The June issue of ‘Drug Safety Update’ includes: drug safety advice for antipsychotics (risk of venous thromboembolic events), Chloral hydrate and Triclofos (not first-line options for insomnia), and for topical ketoprofen (reminder on risk of photosensitivity reactions); a Hot topic article on a pharmacy-based public awareness campaign about counterfeit medicines; and Stop press information about a possible interaction between clopidogrel and proton pump inhibitors.

• 05 May 2009 | Drug Safety Update: Volume 2 Issue 10, May 2009
  

  The May issue of ‘Drug Safety Update’ includes drug safety advice for antihypertensive medicines, and a Hot topic article outlining key safety information to support pharmacy availability of orlistat for weight loss.