To the Editor: The letter from Smith and colleagues in the 6 June 2011 issue of the Journal1 highlights the potential toxicity of colchicine, even when used in the therapeutic doses recommended in the current product information (PI).2 This in turn highlights how important it is that all medicines have PI that continues to be maintained with the most clinically accurate and up-to-date information. The current system for maintaining PI seems to break down most significantly with out-of-patent, “grandfathered” and “orphan” medicines.3
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- 1. Smith MWH, Roberts DM, Ritson SM, Day RO. Death and morbidity from supratherapeutic dosing of colchicine [letter]. Med J Aust 2011; 194: 612-613. <MJA full text>
- 2. Approved product information. Colgout. 2009. http://www.medicines.org.au/files/aspcolgo.pdf (accessed Apr 2011).
- 3. Stockigt JR. The quality of medication information in Australia: the need for more clinical expertise and accountability [editorial]. Med J Aust 2009; 190: 110-111. <MJA full text>
- 4. Terkeltaub RA, Furst DE, Bennett K et al. High versus low dosing of oral colchicine for early acute gout flare: Twenty-four-hour outcome of the first multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, dose-comparison colchicine study. Arthritis Rheum 2010; 62: 1060-1068.
- 5. Australian medicines handbook: AMH July 2010 edition. Adelaide: AMH, 2010.
- 6. Sweidan M, Reeve JF, Brien JA, et al. Quality of drug interaction alerts in prescribing and dispensing software. Med J Aust 2009; 190: 251-254. <MJA full text>
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