Skip to Content
Skip to Main Navigation
Skip to Local Navigation
Skip to Search

Medicines Safety Update

2010-present

Medicines Safety Update provides practical information and advice on drug safety and information about emerging safety issues. It replaced the Australian Adverse Drug Reactions Bulletin in 2010.

Medicines Safety Update appears in each edition of Australian Prescriber

2013 2012 2011 2010

2013

• Medicines Safety Update, Volume 4, Number 2, April 2013
  Montelukast - neuropsychiatric risks; Use of 2013 seasonal influenza vaccines in children; Denosumab and severe hypocalcaemia; Thank you for reporting
• Medicines Safety Update, Volume 4, Number 1, February 2013
  Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy – a rare but serious disease; Thyroxine (Eutroxsig and Oroxine) and fractures; Oral bowel cleansing products – serious electrolyte disturbances

2012

• Medicines Safety Update, Volume 3, Number 6, December 2012
  Ondansetron and QTc interval prolongation - dosing change; Domperidone (Motilium) - serious ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death; Cardiovascular safety risk with fingolimod (Gilenya) - updates to the Product Information; Disposal of unwanted medicines; Changes to over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for children
• Medicines Safety Update, Volume 3, Number 5, October 2012
  Post-market vigilance and introduction of the Database of Adverse Event Notifications; Lenalidomide (Revlimid) and second primary malignancy; Kogenate: home use Factor VIII and filtration
• Medicines Safety Update, Volume 3, Number 4, August 2012
  Accidental paracetamol poisoning, Strontium ranelate and venous thromboembolism and serious skin reactions, Better information on medicine labels – have your say.
• Medicines Safety Update, Volume 3, Number 3, June 2012
  Candesartan, fetal malformations and use in pregnancy; Zolpidem: continued reporting of abnormal sleep-related events and amnesia; Renal function assessment in prescribing Anaphylaxis with chlorhexidine-impregnated central venous catheters
• Medicines Safety Update, Volume 3, Number 2, April 2012
  Change in the pregnancy category for topiramate; Use of 2012 seasonal influenza vaccines in children; Dasatinib (Sprycel) and pulmonary arterial hypertension; Pulmonary oedema associated with topical phenylephrine
• Medicines Safety Update, Volume 3, Number 1, February 2012
  Pneumovax 23 - updated revaccination recommendations; Caveat emptor 'buyer beware' - the risks of purchasing unregistered medicines online; Citalopram and QT prolongation - important changes to the dosing recommendations; Atomoxetine (Strattera) - risk of increased blood pressure and/or heart rate; What to report

2011

• Medicines Safety Update Vol 2, No 6, December 2011
  Proton pump inhibitors and acute interstitial nephritis; Dabigatran (Pradaxa) and the risk of bleeding; Risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis with simvastatin - new dosage recommendations and contraindications
• Medicines Safety Update Vol 2, No 5, October 2011
  Oral contraceptives containing drospirenone (Yaz and Yasmin) and venous thromboembolism; Pioglitazone and risk of bladder cancer; Modafinil (Modavigil) – safety update; Subscribe to TGA email alerts; What to report
• Medicines Safety Update Vol 2, No 4, August 2011
  Cramps, quinine and thrombocytopenia; Venlafaxine and stress cardiomyopathy; In utero antipsychotic exposure and neonatal extrapyramidal and withdrawal adverse effects; Prescribing medicines in pregnancy – new TGA database
• Medicines Safety Update Vol 2, No 3, June 2011
  Risk of hypomagnesaemia with proton pump inhibitors; Use of 2011 seasonal influenza vaccines in children; Investigation of Prevenar and deaths in children in Japan: what does it mean for Australia?; Finding information about adverse reaction reporting on the new TGA website; Medicine recalls in Australia; What to report
• Medicines Safety Update Vol 2, No 2, April 2011
  Drug-induced hyponatraemia; Rotavirus vaccination and risk of intussusception: investigation of a possible safety signal; Coversyl and Coumadin: new packaging to reduce potential for dispensing errors; Suspected adverse reactions to vaccines: a reminder to report; What to report
• Medicines Safety Update Vol 2, No 1, February 2011
  Clozapine and severe constipation; Drug interaction between tamoxifen and antidepressants; Methysergide and retroperitoneal fibrosis; Thank you for your reports; Suspected adverse reactions to vaccines: a reminder to report; What to report

2010

• Medicines Safety Update No.6; 2010
  Lamotrigine and serious skin reactions; Serotonin syndrome: a reminder; Drug-induced acute akathisia; Unintended pregnancy due to interaction between etonogestrel implant (Implanon) and carbamazepine; What to report
• Medicines Safety Update No.5; 2010
  Cholinesterase inhibitors and syncope; Statins, macrolides and rhabdomyolysis; Uterine perforation with levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system; Rivaroxaban - an overview of adverse event reports; What to report
• Medicines Safety Update No.4; 2010
  Varenicline (Champix): an update; Australian experience with non-adjuvant H1N1 vaccine (Panvax and Panvax Junior); New structural arrangements; What to report
• Medicines Safety Update No.3; 2010
  AUST R and AUST L numbers – why are they important?; Sibutramine; Drug-induced pancreatitis and exenatide (Byetta); What to report
• Medicines Safety Update No.2; 2010
  ACSOM membership announced; Safety of fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids; What to report
• Medicines Safety Update No.1; 2010
  Introducing Medicines Safety Update; A new era of medicines safety monitoring and communication of benefit–risk information at the TGA; Enhanced postmarket risk management – Risk Management Plans; ACSOM – a new expert advisory medicines safety committee; Improved access to prescribing and consumer information; Hot news – experience with swine flu vaccine; The Blue Card system is not changing; What to report