Christchurch Medicines Information Service

There are over 240,000 people in NZ currently diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (mostly type 2), and possibly another 100,000 undiagnosed. In October 2018, vildagliptin became the first dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor funded in NZ. It is one of a number of DPP-4 inhibitors used internatio...

Pregabalin is now fully funded without restrictions both in hospitals (Hospital Medicines List) and in the community (PHARMAC Schedule). As the use of newly available medicines, particularly new medicines within a class, presents some challenges to clinicians the aim of the below is to familiaris...

Sacubitril + valsartan is now available in New Zealand and fully subsidised under Special Authority criteria. Eligible patients must have NYHA/WHO functional class II, III or IV heart failure; a left ventricular ejection fraction of <35%; and be receiving standard heart failure therapy. It can...

Hyponatraemia (plasma sodium <135mmol/L) is common in hospitalised patients, the incidence is 12% in medical wards and up to 30% in intensive care. Hyponatraemia is associated with an increased length of stay in hospital and increased mortality. Mild hyponatraemia is often asymptomatic with sy...

The term ‘sulfur allergy’ is confusing and may lead to patients believing that they are allergic to all sulfur-containing medications or preservatives, and even to sulfur, an important building block of life. We are often asked, “Can a patient with a sulfur allergy have medication containin...

In the past few years, much attention has been focused on drugs that prolong the QT interval and may trigger potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias such as Torsade de Pointes (“twisting of the points”).  Several drugs (e.g. cisapride and terfenadine) have been withdrawn from the world market ...