Archives : 2012

Tianeptine (Stablon°) as an antidepressant: too high a risk of dependence

Tianeptine (Stablon°), marketed as an antidepressant, should be avoided as it carries a high risk of dependence. The risks have been known for a number of years, but health authorities are still ignoring them.

1 May 2012

Adverse effects: means of increasing reporting

Effective local initiatives have been set up in several French regions to improve the gathering of reports of adverse effects.

1 May 2012

Prescrire: financial transparency, editorial independence

Prescrire makes its accounts public every year.

1 May 2012

No grants. No advertising. No conflicts of interest.

Every year Association Mieux Prescrire (AMP), the French non-profit that publishes Prescrire and Prescrire International, publishes its accounts in full. This allows readers to see exactly where our money goes – and especially where it comes from.

1 May 2012

A new drug treatment makes headlines in France:
olanzapine + topiramate (Obéfix°), maintains ideal weight without risk

BREAKING NEWS Dateline Paris, 1 April 2012. French medical journal La revue Prescrire has revealed unbelievable new results that will be welcome reading for medical professionals and patients alike. A new combination drug, soon to be launched under the brand name Obéfix°, promises to change the way we think about maintaining an ideal weight.

1 April 2012

• Decline in vigilance: a danger to public health!

We all need an annual April "booster shot", to help us to take a good look at our perception of information.

1 April 2012

Boceprevir (Victrelis°). In triple-drug combination: virological advantage in chronic hepatitis C

FEATURED REVIEW In chronic hepatitis C caused by genotype 1 virus, adding boceprevir to the standard combination of peginterferon alfa + ribavirin markedly increases the rate of sustained virological response, with acceptable adverse effects. Thus, the addition of boceprevir to standard therapy is justified, but evaluation must continue to determine long-term clinical outcomes.
Full review (4 pages) available for download by subscribers.

1 April 2012

In the April issue of Prescrire International:
a look back at new drugs and new indications in 2011

FREE DOWNLOAD In their annual wrap-up, Prescrire's editors conclude that while France is better focused on patients' interests after the Mediator° scandal, there is stagnation elsewhere.The feature includes a too-long list of drugs with more harms than benefits that are still on the market in France. And sums up the timid progress made in France's new drugs policy initiative.

Full text available for free download.

1 April 2012

Pharmacovigilance: databases accessible to the public

Full public access to pharmacovigilance databases is already in place in 4 countries, but is still a long way from being a reality in France.

1 April 2012

Smoking and pregnancy: bupropion (Zyban°) should be avoided due to a risk of heart damage to the unborn child

Bupropion (Zyban°), an amphetamine used in smoking cessation, has an unfavourable harm-benefit balance. Increased frequency of cardiac malformations in babies born to mothers who took the drug during pregnancy is one more reason not to use bupropion.

1 April 2012

Fingolimod (Gilenya°): EMA's lack of transparency spells danger for patients

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) refused to supply Prescrire with data on cases of death following the first dose of fingolimod (Gilenya°). Read on for a summary of the press release issued by Prescrire on 20 February 2012, and an update detailing EMA’S latest refusal.

1 April 2012

Bleeding from ruptured oesophageal varices: propranolol for primary prevention

FEATURED REVIEW Oesophageal varices are a common complication of cirrhosis. Bleeding from ruptured oesophageal varices is fatal in about 20% of cases. Propranolol should be used for both primary and secondary prevention of bleeding from ruptured oesophageal varices, because of its favourable harm-benefit balance, convenience, and low cost. If propranolol has unacceptable adverse effects or is contraindicated, endoscopic ligation is the best alternative.
Full review (5 pages) available for download by subscribers.

1 March 2012

In the March issue of Prescrire International:
healthcare products are involved in about half of all serious adverse events related to healthcare in France

FREE DOWNLOAD A French study revealed that healthcare products are involved in about half of all serious adverse events related to healthcare. These adverse events generally involve a drug, sometimes a medical device, and more rarely a labile blood product.

Full text available for free download.

1 March 2012

Orlistat (Xenical°, Alli°): severe kidney and liver damage

Orlistat, a drug used for weight loss, can cause severe adverse effects, notably kidney and liver damage.

1 March 2012

Osteoporosis : avoid strontium ranelate (Protelos°)

Strontium ranelate should be avoided as a treatment for osteoporosis due to its disproportionate adverse effects.

1 March 2012

Research financed independently of drug companies: a timely debate

Regulatory agencies cannot properly evaluate medicines based on industry-generated data alone.

1 March 2012

Fingolimod (Gilenya°): European Medicines Agency's lack of transparency spells danger for patients

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has refused to supply Prescrire with the detailed data in its possession on cases of death which occurred following the first dose of fingolimod (Gilenya°). This lack of transparency spells danger for patients.

20 February 2012

The 2011 Prescrire Awards are announced in Paris

This year's annual Drug Awards, announced on 26 January in Paris, included not a single winner: no "Golden Pill", no new entries to the "Honours List", not even a "Noteworthy" new drug. Prescrire's annual awards for Drug Packaging and Information were also announced.

26 January 2012

Drug research financed independently of pharmaceutical companies: for better patient care

Financing of drug research by pharmaceutical companies has numerous drawbacks. Independent clinical trials should be developed, in the interest of patients. A conference-debate on this theme was held at Prescrire's annual "Pilule d'Or" ("Golden Pill") awards ceremony, which took place in Paris on 26 January 2012.

26 January 2012

Pregnancy and alcohol: occasional, light drinking may be safe

FEATURED REVIEW There is a risk of cognitive and behavioural problems in children whose mothers regularly drank more than 2 standard units of alcohol per day during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome occurs in about 5% of cases of regular exposure to five or more standard units per day. Women must be informed, but the risks of minimal consumption should not be overstated.
Full review (7 pages) available for download by subscribers.

1 February 2012

In the February issue of Prescrire International:
Mobility aid-related accidents in children

FREE DOWNLOAD Mobility aids for children can be a source of accidents. Wheelchairs are the devices most often involved, followed by crutches and walkers. Correct use of these devices should be explained to parents and children, and children using them should be supervised if necessary.
Full text available for free download.

1 February 2012

Patients want to know

Less advice, more explanations! Many patients expect healthcare professionals to help them develop their skills so they can take an active part in making decisions affecting their health.

1 February 2012

Smoking cessation: no varenicline

Varenicline is used as a smoking cessation drug. It exposes patients to neuropsychological adverse effects, including depression and suicide, and there is a risk of cardiovascular events in the long term. In practice, it is better to avoid prescribing varenicline as a smoking cessation drug and to keep to nicotine when a drug treatment is deemed necessary.

1 February 2012

Outpatient care: preventable adverse events too frequent

At least 40% of severe adverse events related to outpatient care that have resulted in hospitalisation appear to be preventable. They are chiefly drug-related.

1 February 2012

How a review in Prescrire is produced

Prescrire's reviews are produced through a complex, collective editing process, which has been fine-tuned over the years. The absence of any direct or indirect financial links to the phramaceutical industry is an absolute requirement to be a member of the Prescrire editorial team.

1 February 2012

Sedation at end of life: When distress is unbearable despite treatment

FEATURED REVIEW The decision to begin terminal sedation is difficult; it should only be taken when the patient is in extreme distress. What are the principles, practices and ethics of palliative sedation in distressed terminally ill patients? To answer this question, we reviewed the relevant literature using the standard Prescrire methodology.
Full review (5 pages) available for download by subscribers.

1 January 2012

In the January issue of Prescrire International:
fentanyl nasal (Pecfent°), still no tangible advantage

FREE DOWNLOAD Fentanyl intranasal proved no better than immediate-release oral morphine in a trial including 84 patients, but caused more frequent adverse effects. There is a risk of overdose due to confusion between the different forms and doses of fentanyl.

Full text available for free download.

1 January 2012

Prostate cancer: too many unknowns with cabazitaxel

In patients with metastatic prostate cancer, when treatment fails, the emphasis should be on quality palliative care.

1 January 2012

Migraine: sumatriptan remains available only on prescription in France

Oral sumatriptan for the treatment of migraine in adults remains available only on prescription.

1 January 2012

Weight gain: drug treatment may be the cause

Drugs can sometimes disrupt one or several weight-regulation factors. Psychotropic drugs are most often implicated.

1 January 2012

Spotlight: Archives

Spotlight

2012

Tianeptine (Stablon°) as an antidepressant: too high a risk of dependence

Adverse effects: means of increasing reporting

Prescrire: financial transparency, editorial independence

No grants. No advertising. No conflicts of interest.

A new drug treatment makes headlines in France:
olanzapine + topiramate (Obéfix°), maintains ideal weight without risk

• Decline in vigilance: a danger to public health!

Boceprevir (Victrelis°). In triple-drug combination: virological advantage in chronic hepatitis C

In the April issue of Prescrire International:
a look back at new drugs and new indications in 2011

Pharmacovigilance: databases accessible to the public

Smoking and pregnancy: bupropion (Zyban°) should be avoided due to a risk of heart damage to the unborn child

Fingolimod (Gilenya°): EMA's lack of transparency spells danger for patients

Bleeding from ruptured oesophageal varices: propranolol for primary prevention

In the March issue of Prescrire International:
healthcare products are involved in about half of all serious adverse events related to healthcare in France

Orlistat (Xenical°, Alli°): severe kidney and liver damage

Osteoporosis : avoid strontium ranelate (Protelos°)

Research financed independently of drug companies: a timely debate

Fingolimod (Gilenya°): European Medicines Agency's lack of transparency spells danger for patients

The 2011 Prescrire Awards are announced in Paris

Drug research financed independently of pharmaceutical companies: for better patient care

Pregnancy and alcohol: occasional, light drinking may be safe

In the February issue of Prescrire International:
Mobility aid-related accidents in children

Patients want to know

Smoking cessation: no varenicline

Outpatient care: preventable adverse events too frequent

How a review in Prescrire is produced

Sedation at end of life: When distress is unbearable despite treatment

In the January issue of Prescrire International:
fentanyl nasal (Pecfent°), still no tangible advantage

Prostate cancer: too many unknowns with cabazitaxel

Migraine: sumatriptan remains available only on prescription in France

Weight gain: drug treatment may be the cause