Selected items from the News and Latest Additions sections of www.palliativedrugs.com, the world’s leading palliative care website with over 30,000 members from 169 Countries.
Safety issues
Topical miconazole interaction with warfarin
MHRA has highlighted the risk of serious bleeding events in patients taking warfarin and using cream, ointment, powder or oral gel formulations of miconazole. The potential for a drug interaction between oral miconazole and warfarin is well documented due to miconazole inhibiting the CYP2C9 enzyme involved in the metabolism of warfarin. The MHRA are now receiving a large number of reports of potential drug interactions involving topical miconazole (particularly the oral gel formulation) and warfarin, and are now reviewing whether further measures are needed to minimise the risks to patients. In the meantime, their advice is to carefully monitor the anticoagulant effect and reduce the dose of warfarin if necessary. As some topical formulations of miconazole are available without prescription, patients taking warfarin should be warned not to use topical miconazole without consulting their doctor. For more information, click here.
Hot topics
RPS guidance for the prescribers of Specials
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), has published guidance for the prescribers of specials. The document can be downloaded from the RPS website, or from here. This document was produced at the request of NICE and following consultation in 2015 (see our news item 10 November 2015). It complements the RPS professional guidance for the procurement and supply of specials which was published in December 2015.
Neuropathic pain: pregabalin and gabapentin prescribing
The latest PrescQIPP bulletin discusses dose optimisation of pregabalin and cost effectiveness in line with authorized indications and guidance from NHS England and NICE. For more information, click here.
e-learning Indian palliative care course
eCancer has launched a text only version of the palliative care e-learning course for health professionals in India. For more information, click here.
Drug updates
Epistatus 10mg/mL oromucosal solution batch recall
MHRA has issued a class 2 medicines recall for a specified batch of Epistatus (midazolam) 10mg/mL oromucosal solution (unauthorized buccal liquid; Special products). The incorrect size of neck adaptor has been fitted and they are not compatible with oral syringes (Batch: 73234 Expiry: Oct 2017 Size: 1 x 5ml First issued: 24 Feb 2016). For more information, click here.
NICE evidence summary for fentanyl transdermal patient controlled system
NICE has published an evidence summary for the new fentanyl transdermal system (IONSYS) that was launched earlier this year in the UK (see our news item 28 March 2016). It is authorized for the treatment of moderate−severe post-operative pain in adults (hospital use only).
NICE conclude that the fentanyl transdermal system has comparable efficacy to IV morphine patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). Its undesirable effect profile is as expected for an opioid used in post‑operative pain, and is similar to that of IV morphine PCA. They report a better patient satisfaction than IV morphine PCA but a higher drug cost. For more information, click here.
New naproxen suspension available in UK
A new authorized naproxen oral suspension 125mg/5mL (Orion Pharma) is now available. The NHS indicative cost is £110 for 100mL. This is significantly more expensive than the tablets or the effervescent tablets and the previously unauthorized special order product. The effervescent tablets are now accepted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) for use in NHS Scotland for patients with swallowing difficulties. For more information, click here.
Naproxen (generic)
Tablets 250mg, 500mg, 28 days @ 500mg b.d. = £2.75.
Tablets e/c 250mg, 375mg, 500mg, 28 days @ 500mg b.d. = £9.
Oral solution 125mg/5mL, 28 days @ 500mg b.d. = £1,232.
Stirlescent® (Stirling)
Tablets effervescent 250mg, 28 days @ 500mg b.d. = £44.
With esomeprazole
Tablets m/r naproxen 500mg e/c + esomeprazole 20mg, 28 days @ 1 tablet b.d. = £15. Note this product is cheaper than prescribing both drugs separately.
Latest additions
Levomepromazine for anti-emesis – How do you use it?
Results from our survey (April– May 2016).
Introducing Palliative Care 5th edition (IPC5) now available.
We are pleased to announce that IPC5 is now available to purchase from our store for £25 (including p&p in the UK).
IPC5 has moved from a single authorship to a collaborative project between palliativedrugs.com editorial team and eight new contributors. Updates include:
- covering the Association for Palliative Medicine of Great Britain and Ireland recommended curriculum for medical undergraduates
- expanded sections on ethics, law, children, symptom management
- the Essential Palliative Care Formulary, and a synoptic table of drug doses for common symptoms.
IPC5 has already received the following high praise:
‘We all need one book that we know, thumb often, trust and refer to. This palliative care book fills all these roles for staff at every grade. End of life care is everyone’s business; if used to the full, this book can and will improve patient care in all settings.’ Professor Ilora Baroness Finlay of Llandaff
‘This new collaborative edition is the best of the best. Its clear, concise, balance of theory and application is admirable and is replete with practical wisdom. This is required reading for anyone serious about caring for the dying well, for it is long enough to be useful and short enough to be digestible.’ Professor Rob George, President of the Association for Palliative Medicine
‘The holistic and multimodal approach of this book, which builds on the total pain model of Dame Cicely Saunders, is particularly to be commended.’ Professor Irene Higginson, Director of the Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, King’s College London
‘This book is not just a symptom control handbook, it covers all aspects of holistic care in an easy to read and navigable format. It will become an old friend – get to know it!’ Dr Fiona Rawlinson, Programme Director, Palliative Care Education, Cardiff University.
To purchase a licensed copy, and help support palliativedrugs.com, please go to our store. For enquiries regarding multiple copies please contact hq@palliativedrugs.com
PCF updated monographs summary (May/June 2016)
The on-line Palliative Care Formulary is being continually updated. The following monographs have been updated during May/June and supersede those in the print publication of the 5th edition of the Palliative Care Formulary (PCF5) and PCF5+ 2015 PDF. They can be accessed from the formulary section of the website.
Chapter 02: Furosemide
Chapter 05: Opioid antagonists (minor change)
Chapter 24: Prolongation of the QT interval in palliative care (minor change)
For a full list of all the monographs updated since the print publication of PCF5, click here. Follow us on twitter @palliativedrugs for the latest updates.
Prepared by Sarah Charlesworth and Andrew Wilcock