Amendments to FSRH Guidance Documents: Drug Interactions and Emergency Contraception
Drug Interactions (2011): Page 9 of the original version of this CEU Guidance Document (issued in January 2011) incorrectly stated that the interaction between lamotrigine and combined hormonal contraception (CHC) only applies to lamotrigine monotherapy. CHC also reduces lamotrigine levels when lamotrigine is combined with antiepileptic drugs that
do not alter its metabolism.
Emergency Contraception (2011): The original version of this CEU Guidance Document (issued in August 2011) contained some inconsistencies that the CEU has corrected in this version. These amendments are as follows: additional recommendation regarding offering a Cu-IUD to eligible women presenting between 0 and 120 hours of UPSI or within 5 days of expected ovulation added (pages ii and 8); references 12 and 13 updated (page 11); and acknowledgement of chart designer added to Appendix 2 (page 15).
New Examiners for the Multiple Choice Question Paper (MCQ)
The Examination Committee invites applications to join the MCQ Examiner Group of the MFSRH Panel of Examiners. Applicants should be accredited Members of the Faculty and active clinically in the sphere of the Faculty or, to be Clinicians, of equivalent status, with an interest in Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare but whose speciality is GUM, Public Health Medicine, Gynaecology or Primary Care. Further information and application forms from the Faculty website, closing date 29th February.
Committee Vacancies
- Clinical Standards: for a doctor and a nurse
- Workforce Planning: for an Associate member and a Fellow/Member/Diplomate
Information and details of how to apply are available from the committee’s page of the Faculty website
and in other news
Oral Ulipristal Proves Highly Effective for Uterine Fibroids
According to 2 studies published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine the oral selective progesterone receptor modulator, ulipristal, proved highly effective as a treatment for symptomatic uterine fibroids rapidly reducing excessive bleeding and reducing the size of uterine fibroids, and was well tolerated. The drug was approved for emergency contraception in 2010. Known as ella (HRA Pharma) in the United States and ellaOne in Europe, ulipristal works by interrupting ovulation. For emergency contraception, a 30-mg dose is used. By contrast, the newly-published studies tested 5-mg and 10-mg daily doses for fibroid treatment. In one of the studies (placebo-controlled) the drug controlled excess menstrual bleeding in over 90% of cases with a high incidence of amenorrhoea. If and when a product becomes available in the UK (Esmya is already approved and licensed in other countries) the issue of contraception will need to be highlighted to those that might use it because of the interaction with hormonal contraception.