Christchurch Medicines Information Service

Note this bulletin is older than 5 years old and the content may no longer be accurate

Note this bulletin is older than 5 years old and the content may no longer be accurate

Note this bulletin is older than 5 years old and the content may no longer be accurate

Aminoglycosides (gentamicin, tobramycin and amikacin) are bactericidal antibiotics used to treat infections caused by Gram-negative organisms. Therapeutic drug monitoring is recommended to ensure adequate dosing and prevent adverse effects such as nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity. Aminoglycosides d...

Gluten and lactose may be present in medicines as excipients. Excipients are intended to be pharmacologically inactive ingredients, and include binders, absorbents, protectants and colouring agents. Some patients need to, or choose to, avoid gluten or lactose. This bulletin summarises what to con...

Definition Prodrugs are inactive precursors designed to be converted to an active form after administration. This is to overcome poor physio-chemical or pharmacokinetic properties of the active drug. Prodrugs – methods of activation Prodrugs are activated by a variety of mechanisms including...

Due to concerns about cancer risks from contamination with NDMA, ranitidine tablets and injection have been unavailable in New Zealand since September 2019, following a global recall by the manufacturers. This bulletin aims to provide information for health professionals about NDMA impurities in ...

Key points The current NZ Sanofi levomepromazine (Nozinan®) 25 mg and 100 mg tablets will be replaced with Swiss Sanofi Nozinan® formulations temporarily from 1st March 2020. They are not bioequivalent. Dose equivalency is 1 x NZ tablet ≈ 0.75 x Swiss tablet. All prescriptions sho...