E-DRUG: dipyrone / metamizol (cont.)
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France:
Dipyrone is marketed in France in many drugs. 2 tradenames contain only
dipyrone and 2 are combnations with cafeine and 2 others with antispamodic
and 1 with codeine.
Cameroon:
Dipyrone was also present in Cameroon up to 1994 when I left the country,
but there is no doubt that the same drugs are still present. It was very
much used mainly as antipyretic. A retrospective survey carried out in 1993
on outpatient records of a district hospital found that 48% of prescriptions
contained dipyrone . The October-December 1992 issue of the Precriber's
bulletin (independent drug bulletin, no longer published) contained two
pages of review on dipyrone. The main messages were: fatal side effects
exists altough rare, and dipyrone shoudl not be used as first line
antipyretic or analgesic. This bulletin was sent to all prescribers
(doctors, nurses, midwives and pharmacists). The survey mentionned above
found that in the same hospital prescription at the outpatient department
dropped to 9% in 1993. (Steinhausen KF. The effect of a drug bulletin on
rational prescribing in hospitals of Fako division in South West province,
Cameroon. University of Heidelberg, 1993).
** Jerome Sclafer ---- e-mail: jeromejet@easynet.fr **
** La revue Prescrire -- member of the editorial team **
** Prescrire tel: +33 1 4700 9445 fax: +33 1 4807 8732 **
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