Docetaxel accepted by SMC for use within NHS Scotland
Docetaxel (Taxotere) has been accepted for use as a breast cancer treatment within NHS Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium announced last week.
It is approved for use in combination with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide
for the treatment of operable breast cancer that is also present in the
lymph nodes after surgery.
The SMC has also decided that patients with endometriosis who would benefit
from reduced frequency of triptorelin administration can now receive
a 11.25mg injection every three months (Decapeptyl SR), rather than a
3mg injection every four weeks (Decapeptyl).
It also accepts that at-risk patients with essential thrombocythaemia
who do not tolerate, or whose platelet counts are not reduced to an acceptable
level by, their current treatment can now receive anagrelide (Xagrid).
In addition, the SMC has accepted atorvastatin (Lipitor) and infliximab
(Remicade) for restricted use. Atorvastatin’s use in
supporting diet to reduce elevated total cholesterol is restricted to
initiation by paediatricians or physicians specialising in the management
of lipid disorders. Infliximab’s use in the treatment of ankylosing
spondylitis is restricted to use in accordance with British Society of
Rheumatology guidelines of July 2004.
However, cetuximab (Erbitux) for colorectal cancer, bemiparin (Zibor)
for prevention or treatment of thromboembolism and glyceryl trinitrate
ointment (Rectogesic) for chronic anal fissure have all been rejected
for use within NHS Scotland. |
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