The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has published Drug Safety Update for January 2025 (PDF).
This issue advises clinicians to be aware of the potential risk of pulmonary aspiration in patients using GLP-1 or dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists who undergo surgery or procedures with general anaesthesia or deep sedation. Primary care clinicians should advise patients to make surgical teams and anaesthetists aware if they are using these types of medicine.
Lastly, this issue contains a summary of letters to healthcare professionals in December. These generally related to supply issues and recalls but included a defective medication notice for Medikinet® describing and issue affecting the colour appearance of the capsules with no impact on efficacy and notice that Fusidic acid 1% eye drops intended for the Chinese market are being imported and repackaged to ease supply constraints.
Action: Clinicians should be aware of this month's new guidance and implement any necessary changes to practice.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have published new or updated guidance for the month of January 2025. This month there are two guidelines and one technology evaluation that impact upon primary care.
The Maternal and child nutrition: nutrition and weight management in pregnancy, and nutrition in children up to 5 years guideline has been published. It covers nutrition and weight management in pregnancy for anyone who may become pregnant, is planning to become pregnant or is already pregnant, and nutrition in children up to 5 years. Care of babies and children born preterm or with low birth weight is not covered. The guideline does not give detailed advice on what constitutes a healthy diet.
The Digitally enabled therapies for adults with depression: early value assessment health technology assessment has been updated. Deprexis has been removed from recommendations because it is no longer available in the UK. Beating the Blues was removed in February 2024 because it is no longer available since the supplier ceased trading.
The Overweight and obesity management guideline has been published. It covers the prevention and management of overweight, obesity and central adiposity in children, young people and adults. It brings together and updates all NICE's previous guidelines on overweight and obesity. It does not cover pregnancy.
Action: Clinicians should be aware of this month's new guidance and implement any necessary changes to practice.
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has issued its monthly advice on newly licensed medicines.
Ciclosporin (Cequa®) drops have been accepted for restricted use in the treatment of moderate-to-severe Dry Eye Disease (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) in adult patients who have not responded adequately to artificial tears. The restriction limits use to cases of severe keratitis in adult patients.
Relugolix, estradiol, norethisterone tablets (Ryeqo®) has been accepted for use in adult women of reproductive age for symptomatic treatment of endometriosis in women with a history of previous medical or surgical treatment for their endometriosis.
Action: Clinicians should be aware of the recommendations of the SMC. Routine use of rejected and restricted medicines should be avoided.
The manufacturer of Seroxat® has written to healthcare professionals in December 2024 and advised that this product will be discontinued in 2025.
Seroxat® suspension was discontinued in October 2022. The tablets have been discontinued for commercial reasons, there are no safety concerns. The three strengths will all be discontinued; the 20mg in March 2025, the 30mg in May 2025 and the 10mg in November 2025. The phased discontinuation is likely due to existing stock in the supply chain.
There are currently several generic suppliers of the tablets and this discontinuation is expected to only affect patients issued branded prescriptions.
Action: Clinicians should be aware of this product being discontinued. It would be prudent to run clinical system searches to identify any patients who are currently prescribed this product to assess if a suitable alternative can be arranged.
