Selected items from the News and Latest Additions sections of www.palliativedrugs.com, the world’s leading palliative care website.
Hot topics
Liverpool Care Pathway consensus statement
Over 20 organisations have signed a consensus statement in support of the Liverpool Care Pathway for the dying patient, including professional bodies, third sector organizations, disease specific charities and organizations representing care homes, hospices, social services and palliative care specialists. For more information click here.
BNF now updated monthly on-line
The British National Formulary (BNF 64; September 2012) is now available. In addition, both the BNF and BNF for Children will now be updated online every month via the BNF website, Medicines Complete website, NHS Evidence website and the NICE BNF apps. Print editions of BNF will continue to be published every six months, and BNF for Children annually.
WHO scoping document available for persistent pain in adults
A scoping document for guidelines for the drug treatment of persistent pain in adults has been published by the World Health Organization (WHO). Subject to the availability of funding, it is anticipated that these guidelines will be ready by early 2015.
Paediatric morphine doses
Following the publication of the WHO Guidelines on the drug treatment of pain in children with medical illness (see our article 08-03-2012), WHO have highlighted that the new dosage guidelines for morphine have a more cautious approach and replace the dosage recommendations in the WHO Model Formulary for Children (2010). For specific details see the WHO newsletter and the full guidelines.
EMA to review safety of codeine for post-operative pain relief in children
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has started its first safety review of a medicine under the new EU rules on pharmacovigilance. It will consider the safety of codeine-containing medicines for post-operative pain relief in children. This has been initiated at the request of the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) following concerns over an increased risk of morphine toxicity when codeine is given in this setting. In particular, a very small number of cases of rare but fatal or life-threatening respiratory depression have been reported in children who are CYP2D6 ultra-rapid metabolisers and were given codeine after surgical removal of the tonsils or adenoids in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea. For more information click here.
Topical capsaicin cream, Cochrane review
A Cochrane review on the use of low concentration topical capsaicin cream for neuropathic pain has been published.
For more information click here.
DTB antidepressant treatment of neuropathic pain
The latest Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB) contains part 1 of two articles on the treatment of neuropathic pain and features the use of antidepressants.
NICE evidence summary of tranexamic acid off-label use
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published its first evidence summary for the off-label use of products (see our article 04-10-2011). It is for the use of tranexamic acid for significant haemorrhage following trauma. For more information click here.
NICE issues denosumab costing template
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published a costing template to accompany its guidance on denosumab for preventing skeletal-related events in adults with bone metastases from solid tumours (TA 256).
Prepared by Sarah Charlesworth and Andrew Wilcock