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Recent information relating to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines that has been published since the November 2022 issue of Drug Safety Update, up to 8 December 2022.
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Recent information relating to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines that has been published since the September 2022 issue of Drug Safety Update, up to 21 October 2022.
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Recent information relating to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines that has been published since the October 2022 issue of Drug Safety Update, up to 24 November 2022.…
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Cases of interstitial lung disease and pneumonitis have been reported in patients receiving CDK4/6 inhibitors indicated for some breast cancers. Ensure that patients taking these medicines are aware of the need to seek advic…
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Prescribers and dispensers should use caution if switching patients between different long-acting formulations of methylphenidate (Concerta XL, Medikinet XL, Equasym XL, Ritalin LA, and generics) as different instructions fo…
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If a patient reports persistent symptoms when switching between different levothyroxine tablet formulations, consider consistently prescribing a specific product known to be well tolerated by the patient. If symptoms or poor…
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How MHRA monitors the impact of regulatory action taken.
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A summary of advice recently issued by the MHRA relating to coronavirus (COVID-19), up to 21 April 2021.
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Recent information relating to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines that has been published since the June 2022 issue of Drug Safety Update, up to 20 July 2022.
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A large study has shown no safety issues of concern relating to the use of metformin during pregnancy. The licence for metformin now reflects that it can be considered for use during pregnancy and the periconceptional phase …
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Recent information relating to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines that has been published since the February 2022 issue of Drug Safety Update, up to 11 March 2022
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We remind healthcare professionals that elderly patients are at an increased risk of adverse neurological and cardiac effects when being treated with haloperidol for delirium. The lowest possible dose of haloperidol should b…
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A summary of advice recently issued by the MHRA relating to coronavirus (COVID-19), up to 13 May 2021.
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Carefully consider the benefits and risks before prescribing systemic azithromycin or other systemic macrolide antibiotics (erythromycin or clarithromycin) to patients being treated with hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine. An…
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Further to our previous advice in 2016, Public Health England have updated their guidance about live vaccination of infants born to a mother who received immunosuppressive biological therapy during pregnancy.
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SSRIs and SNRIs are known to increase bleeding risks due to their effect on platelet function. Data from observational studies suggest that the use of SSRI/SNRI antidepressants during the month before delivery may result in …
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Emerade 300 and 500 microgram adrenaline auto-injectors have been re-supplied to the market following the implementation of corrective actions – patients and their caregivers should be provided with training and advice speci…
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The indication of ulipristal acetate 5mg for uterine fibroids has been further restricted due to the risk of serious liver injury and liver failure, with some cases requiring liver transplantation. Although the temporary sus…
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Prescribers and dispensers should use caution if switching patients between different metolazone preparations as the rate and extent of absorption of metolazone are formulation dependent. This can impact the bioavailability …
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We inform healthcare professionals that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has launched new guidance to highlight the latest safety advice on the steps to take during anaphylaxis. This new guidanc…
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The annual #MedSafetyWeek campaign takes place from 3 to 9 November 2025. This year’s campaign theme is ‘we can all help make medicines safer.’
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Rarely, severe adverse effects can occur on stopping treatment with topical corticosteroids, often after long-term continuous or inappropriate use of moderate to high potency products. To reduce the risks of these events, pr…
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A summary of recent letters and notifications sent to healthcare professionals about medicines, and a patient safety alert on mexiletine hydrochloride.
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The eighth annual #MedSafetyWeek social media campaign will take place from 6 to 12 November 2023. It will focus on the importance of reporting suspected adverse reactions to medicines and suspected problems with medical dev…
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We have simplified our medicine and device incident report systems by bringing them all under the Yellow Card Scheme.
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A reminder to healthcare professionals to fill out Yellow Card reports.
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2018 saw a fall in reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to the Yellow Card Scheme from key reporter groups, including GPs, pharmacists, and hospital doctors. Every Yellow Card report counts, and a few minutes…
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A summary of recent letters, medicine recalls and notifications sent to healthcare professionals.
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A new study has suggested pregabalin may slightly increase the risk of major congenital malformations if used in pregnancy. Patients should continue to use effective contraception during treatment and avoid use in pregnancy …
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Any healthcare professional can submit a Yellow Card, including students. When submitting a report about a medicine via the Yellow Card website, if your occupation is not available in our drop-down list, you can now select ‘…
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Updated dosing for paediatric paracetamol liquids has been developed to ensure children receive the optimum dose for their age.
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We are no longer requesting all suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to be reported for children.
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The Yellow Card App has been updated to make it easier to use, to have useful new features, and to support reporting a suspected reaction related to medicine exposure during pregnancy. Download the App today and let us know …
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We have published guidance about the use of remote consultations for pregnancy prevention in women of childbearing potential and monitoring for signs of psychiatric reactions (especially depression) and other safety risks in…
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The third-line treatment indication for rucaparib has been withdrawn following a review of the findings of the ARIEL-4 trial, which showed lower overall survival for rucaparib treatment versus standard chemotherapy in patien…
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Remember to report any suspected adverse reactions
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A review of the risks of major congenital malformations and of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes for antiepileptic drugs by the Commission on Human Medicines has confirmed that lamotrigine (Lamictal) and levetiracetam (Keppra) are the safer of the medicines reviewed during pregnancy.…
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When children receiving replacement therapy for adrenal insufficiency are being switched from hydrocortisone tablets to Alkindi granules, parents or carers should be informed of the need to be extra vigilant for symptoms of …
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A summary of letters and drug alerts recently sent to healthcare professionals.
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The ninth annual #MedSafetyWeek social media campaign is taking place 4 to 10 November 2024.
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Albumin-bound paclitaxel formulations for infusion (nab-paclitaxel; brand names Abraxane, Pazenir) differ from conventional paclitaxel medicines in their authorised indications, pharmacokinetics, recommended dosages, and pre…
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Decreased vitamin B12 levels, or vitamin B12 deficiency, is now considered to be a common side effect in patients on metformin treatment, especially in those receiving a higher dose or longer treatment duration and in those …
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Pregabalin has been associated with infrequent reports of severe respiratory depression, including some cases without the presence of concomitant opioid medicines. Patients with compromised respiratory function, respiratory …
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A summary of recent letters and notifications sent to healthcare professionals about medicines
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The authorisation holder for dapagliflozin has withdrawn the indication for type 1 diabetes mellitus. The removal of the type 1 diabetes indication is not due to any new safety concerns and the other indications of dapaglifl…
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We inform healthcare professionals of new risk minimisation measures for JAK inhibitors used to treat chronic inflammatory disorders, consistent with the measures introduced for tofacitinib (Xeljanz) in 2020 and 2021. This a…
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Oral diclofenac is associated with a small increased risk of cardiovascular side effects and is therefore no longer available over the counter.
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The product information for all Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and dual GLP-1/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor agonists has been further updated to highlight the potential risk o…
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New recommendations following a recent clinical trial which found that in patients with type 1 hepatorenal syndrome terlipressin may cause serious or fatal respiratory failure at a frequency higher than previously known, and…
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Healthcare professionals are encouraged to report all suspected adverse reactions (ADRs) on the yellow card porftal to melt formulations of desmopressin.