E-DRUG: Contents of Prescrire International, April 2008 Volume 17 N° 94
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Prescrire International is the English language edition of the reference French journal la revue Prescrire. It contains comparative evaluation of new drug interventions, reviews of adverse effects, and papers on drug policy issues.
Prescrire International is totally funded by subscribers, with no support from pharmaceutical industry or government. It is published six times a year and health professionals in low income countries can also benefit from the journal thanks to Solidarity Subscription Rates. Drug companies are excluded from applying to Solidarity Rates.
Contents of Prescrire International,
April 2008 Volume 17 N° 94
Editorial
. Hypocrisy
EU regulators put asthma patients at risk
New Products
. Aliskiren (arterial hypertension)
No evidence of clinical efficacy
. Carglumic acid (rare urea cycle disorder - a second look)
Confirmed progress
. 0.4% glyceryl trinitrate ointment (chronic anal fissures)
Not useful
. Artemether + lumefantrine (uncomplicated malaria)
An alternative to atovaquone + proguanil
. Budesonide + formoterol (asthma attacks)
A step backwards
. 7-valent pneumococcal vaccine (otitis)
No tangible efficacy
. Common stems - INNs
-tocin and -kiren
. Levetiracetam (tonic-clonic seizures)
Another second-line option
. Celecoxib
Still around, unfortunately
Shortcuts _________
. Rotigotine
Adverse effects
. Drug-induced interstitial pneumonia
. Etonogestrel contraceptive implant: ulnar nerve damage
. Rhabdomyolysis linked to Chinese red yeast rice
. Misoprostol and pregnancy: risk of malformations
. Telithromycin: visual disorders, myasthenia
. Adverse drug effects: in children too
. Mesotherapy: mycobacteriosis
. Codeine: death of a breastfed newborn
. Domperidone and sudden death
. Etonogestrel implants: drug interactions
and unintended pregnancies
Reviews
. Osteodensitometry in healthy postmenopausal women
Useful for avoiding unecessary treatment
. Prescrire's advice: Bone mineral density measurement
and fracture prevention after the menopause
Minireview
. Antenatal betamethasone: reassuring long-term data
. Household spoons: do not use
for drug administration
Outlook
. 2007 Prescrire Awards
. New medicines in 2007: regulatory agencies
and policy makers leave public health in the hands
of the pharmaceutical industry
. Drug packaging in 2007: some improvements,
still many risks
. Prescrire's advice: Drug packaging: preventing bedside
confusion
. Medication errors
Drug regulatory agencies maintain confusion between brand names