Primary Care Pharmacy March 2000 Vol 1 No 2 p61

News

FDA warning on cisapride

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US has recommended that patients currently prescribed cisapride should see their doctor with regard to changing treatment. The recommendation is that doctors do not prescribe the drug, except as a last resort, in patients with severe gastro-oesophageal reflux that is unresponsive to other treatments. In addition, they must first rule out cardiac abnormalities by performing electrocardiography.
Cisapride is known to cause cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death, particularly in the elderly and in patients with a pre-existing cardiac disorder. Cisapride metabolism is influenced by drugs which inhibit the cytochrome P450 enzyme, resulting in increased blood levels and further risk of arrythmia.