The
Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 266 No 7130 p62January 13, 2001
The
Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 266 No 7130 p62
January 13, 2001
Fosamax Once Weekly tablets Fosamax (alendronate) Once Weekly 70mg tablets have
been launched by Merck Sharp & Dohme for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal
women, to prevent fractures (net price, 4 tablets £23.12). The recommended dosage
is one 70mg tablet once weekly, which the company says has an equivalent efficacy
to daily treatment with Fosamax 10mg (see p44).
Foradil new indication The licensed indications for Novartis Pharmaceuticals’s Foradil (eformoterol fumarate) capsules have been extended. Foradil can now additionally be used to treat reversible airways obstruction in patients requiring long-term regular bronchodilator therapy, including those with asthma and with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults (including the elderly), one capsule should be inhaled twice daily.
The name of Schering-Plough’s Nitro-Dur (glyceryl trinitrate) patches has been changed from Nitro-Dur transdermal drug delivery system to Nitro-Dur transdermal patch.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals will be discontinuing Migranal nasal spray (dihydroergotamine) from the beginning of March, because of commercial reasons. Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare has discontinued Disprin CV 100mg and 300mg tablets (aspirin) for commercial reasons. Other products in the Disprin range have not been discontinued.
The following products have been transferred from Celltech Medeva to Bioglan: Micanol (dithranol) cream 1 per cent, pack size 50g, Micanol 3 per cent, pack size 50g, and Crystacide (hydrogen peroxide) cream 1 per cent, pack sizes 10g and 25g. Orders should now be placed with Bioglan (tel 01462 438444, fax 01462 421242). Orders that were placed with Celltech Medeva after December 31, 2000, will be passed on to Bioglan.
The name of Celltech Medeva’s calciferol injection 300,000 units 1ml, pack
size 10, and calciferol injection 600,000units 2ml, pack size 10, has been changed
to ergocalciferol. The company says that the product will be known under both
names until current stocks are exhausted.
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Lignocaine injection 1 per cent w/v, batch number 0443C15, pack size 20 x
5ml, expiry date October, 2002 has been recalled by B Braun Medical. This is
because the company has discovered that some of the plastic ampoules from this
batch were labelled 1 per cent lignocaine injection on one side and 2 per cent
lignocaine injection on the other. The company says that the solution in the
ampoules is lignocaine 1 per cent and the carton and leaflet state the concentration
correctly, as lignocaine 1 per cent. Recipients are requested to quarantine
stock from this batch and return it to their supplier for credit or replacement.
Further information can be obtained from the company’s customer care department
(tel 0114 225 9000).
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The price changes given below are in pounds and pence, light type indicating the price to pharmacists excluding VAT and heavy type the price to the public including VAT. In the case of medicines dispensed on a doctor’s prescription, VAT is not charged to the patient.
Increased from January 1.
| Ex. VAT | Incl. VAT | |||
| Anafranil | capsules | 10mg 84 | £3.23 | |
| 25mg 84 | £6.35 | |||
| 50mg 56 | £8.06 | |||
| ampoules | 25mg/2ml 10 | £5.13 | ||
| Anafranil sr | tablets | 75mg 28 | £8.83 | |
| syrup | 25mg/5ml 150ml | £7.89 | ||
| Anturan | tablets | 100mg 84 | £4.29 | |
| 200mg 84 | £8.53 | |||
| Butacote | tablets | 100mg 100 | £2.19 | |
| Climagest | tablets | 1mg 28 | £4.78 | |
| 1mg 84 | £13.91 | |||
| 2mg 28 | £4.78 | |||
| 2mg 84 | £13.91 | |||
| Climaval | tablets | 1mg 28 | £2.55 | |
| 1mg 84 | £7.66 | |||
| 2mg 28 | £2.55 | |||
| 2mg 84 | £7.66 | |||
| Climesse | tablets | 2mg 28 | £8.62 | |
| 2mg 84 | £25.86 | |||
| Desferal | vials | 500mg 10 | £40.37 | |
| 2g 1 | £16.15 | |||
| Estrapak-50 | patches/tablets | 8/12 | £10.34 | |
| 24/36 | £31.03 | |||
| Foradil | dry powder inhalation capsules | 14 | £6.20 | |
| 56 | £24.80 | |||
| hydergine tablets | 1.5mg 100 | £11.76 | ||
| 4.5mg 28 | £11.76 | |||
| Lentaron | vials | 250mg 1 | £79.35 | |
| Lioresal | tablets | 10mg 84 | £9.85 | |
| liquid | 5mg/5ml 300ml | £8.14 | ||
| Lopresor sr | tablets | 200mg 28 | £9.80 | |
| Ludiomil | tablets | 10mg 30 | £1.15 | |
| 25mg 28 | £2.30 | |||
| 50mg 28 | £4.56 | |||
| 75mg 28 | £6.78 | |||
| Metrogel | gel | 0.75 per cent 40g | £18.94 | |
| Miacalcic | ampoules | 50IU/ml 1ml 5 | £19.43 | |
| 100IU/ml 1ml 5 | £38.87 | |||
| multidose vials | 400IU/2ml 2ml 1 | £27.95 | ||
| Navispare | tablets | 0.25mg/2.5mg 28 | £2.25 | |
| Orimeten | tablets | 250mg 56 | £22.06 | |
| Prescal | tablets | 2.5mg 56 | £13.67 | |
| Sandimmun | capsules | 25mg 30 | £22.41 | |
| 50mg 30 | £43.88 | |||
| 100mg 30 | £83.28 | |||
| oral solution | 100mg/ml 50ml | £124.79 | ||
| Sandoglobulin | ampoules | 3g 1 | £54.76 | |
| 6g 1 | £109.51 | |||
| 12g 1 | £219.02 | |||
| Sandostatin | ampoules | 50µg/ml 1ml 5 | £15.83 | |
| 100µg/ml 1ml 5 | £29.78 | |||
| 500µg/ml 1ml 5 | £144.27 | |||
| multidose vials | 1mg/5ml 5ml 1 | £59.34 | ||
| Tegretol | chewtabs | 100mg 56 | £3.22 | |
| 200mg 56 | £5.99 | |||
| liquid | 100mg/5ml 300ml | £6.24 | ||
| suppositories | 125mg 5 | £8.18 | ||
| 250mg 5 | £10.91 | |||
| Tegretol retard | tablets | 200mg 56 | £5.26 | |
| 400mg 56 | £10.34 | |||
| Tofranil | tablets | 25mg 84 | £3.33 | |
| syrup | 25mg/5ml 150ml | £3.39 | ||
| Trasicor | tablets | 20mg 56 | £1.41 | |
| 40mg 56 | £2.83 | |||
| 80mg 56 | £5.64 | |||
| Slow-trasicor | tablets | 28 | £6.63 | |
| Trasidrex | tablets | 28 | £8.07 | |
| Viskaldix | tablets | 28 | £6.09 | |
| Visken | tablets | 5mg 56 | £4.44 | |
| 15mg 28 | £6.66 | |||
| Zaditen | capsules | 1mg 56 | £8.29 | |
| tablets | 1mg 60 | £8.88 | ||
| elixir | 1mg/5ml 300ml | £10.52 |
Pharmax (increased from February 1)
Phytex solution 25ml £1.42 £2.50.
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General purpose 28 gauge lancets have been added to Owen Mumford’s range of Unilet lancets. The company says that the new lancets, which are available on the Drug Tariff, are ultra thin, type A lancets and can be used with modern blood glucose meters that require only small amounts of blood (net price, 200 x 5 £30.65, 100 x 10 £31.90).
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Smithkline Beecham Consumer Healthcare has launched Oxy Dots transparent antibacterial patches. The company says that the patches, which contain salicylic acid and triclosan, help to both reduce the appearance of blemishes and prevent spots from forming. The product should not be used by children under three years of age. One patch should be applied over a blemish and left overnight (retail price, 24 patches £4.39). |
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