SMC recommends use of six medicines in NHS Scotland
Six further medicines have been recommended for use in NHS Scotland by the Scottish Medicines Consortium this week. One drug has been rejected following a re-submission.
The SMC has endorsed the use of anastrozole (Arimidex) for the adjuvant
treatment of hormone sensitive, early invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal
women. Pioglitazone (Actos) tablets have been recommended as single drug
treatment for type 2 diabetes for patients who would otherwise be considered
for insulin therapy.
Other recommendations include duloxetine (Cymbalta) for the treatment
of major depressive episodes for patients who have not responded to, or
are unable to tolerate, initial treatment options, and oxycodone prolonged
release tablets (OxyContin) for patients in whom controlled release morphine
is ineffective or not tolerated.
Brimonidine/timolol (Combigan) eye drops have been endorsed for patients
with chronic open-angle glaucoma or consistently raised pressure within
the eye who are not responding sufficiently to beta-blockers alone. Eflornithine
11.5 per cent cream (Vaniqa) is accepted for facial hirsutism in women
for whom alternative drug therapy is ineffective, not recommended or considered
inappropriate.
Following a reassessment, pregabalin (Lyrica) for the treatment of peripheral
neuropathic pain in adults has been rejected again (PJ, 12
March, p290). |
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