What new advice is the MHRA and CSM issuing today?
The Chairman of the Committee on Safety of Medicines, has today issued a letter with the following advice for prescribers: — Patients treated with any COX-2 inhibitor who have established ischaemic heart disease or cerebrovascular disease should be switched to alternative (non-COX-2 selective) treatments as soon as is convenient. — For all patients, alternative treatments should be considered in light of an individual assessment of risks and benefits of COX-2 inhibitors, in particular cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and other risk factors. — Prescribers are reminded that for all NSAIDs (including COX-2 inhibitors), the lowest effective dose should be used, for the shortest duration necessary. — For patients switched to chronic non-selective NSAIDs, consideration should be given to the possible need for gastro-protective treatments. 5. Which products does the new advice relate to? The new advice relates to celecoxib (Celebrex), etoricoxib (Arcoxia) and valdecoxib (Bextra). It does
