Christchurch Medicines Information Service

The risk of developing a life threatening arrhythmia at any given QTc interval (the QT interval corrected for heart rate) varies widely between patients. In patients with a high baseline risk of QTc prolongation, QTc prolonging drugs should be either avoided or the QTc interval should be monitore...

The legal status of CBD changed in December 2018 so that it is no longer a controlled drug. CBD is frequently confused with other cannabis-based products. This bulletin aims to clarify the legal status and evidence for CBD. What is cannabidiol (CBD)? CBD is one of the two main cannabinoids in c...

Legal changes in December 2018 allow the use of the cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa) for palliative care, and prescribed tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) will be more accessible later this year. This bulletin aims to clarify the legal status and evidence for the cannabis plant and its main active const...

Infant exposure to antidepressants via breast milk is generally low. Post-natal depression affects 10-15% of women and is often treated with antidepressants. The benefits of breastfeeding, and treating depression, usually outweigh any theoretical risk to the infant posed by antidepressants. It is...

Rivaroxaban (Factor Xa inhibitor), dabigatran etexilate (direct thrombin inhibitor), or warfarin (vitamin K epoxide reductase inhibitor) can be used as oral anticoagulants for most indications. Warfarin remains first line for patients with mechanical heart valves or severe chronic kidney disease....

The term ‘sulfur allergy’ is misleading. It can 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. It can also cause potentially useful medicines to be unnecessarily avoided. The ter...

Allergic rhinitis is characterised by symptoms such as sneezing, a runny, itchy or blocked nose and itchy, watery eyes. It is very common, affecting up to 30% of the adult population. People with seasonal rhinitis ("hay fever") exhibit symptoms at specific times of the year (usually spring and su...

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...