Christchurch Medicines Information Service

Sativex® is the only approved cannabis-based product in New Zealand. This bulletin aims to provide information around the safety, efficacy and regulatory status of Sativex®. What is Sativex®? Sativex® oral mucosal spray is a pharmaceutical-grade cannabis isolate containing 2.7 mg/spray of t...

There have been supply issues for medicines used to treat Parkinson’s Disease. Sinemet® (levodopa + carbidopa) brand has been discontinued in the USA. There have also been problems with supply of Madopar Rapid® (levodopa + benserazide) dispersible tablets. These supply problems mean that pati...

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...

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...