Christchurch Medicines Information Service

Medicinal cannabis products contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and/or cannabidiol (CBD) in differing concentrations. THC and CBD are pharmacologically distinct: they do not have the same mechanisms of action or clinical effects (beneficial or adverse). THC is the main psychoactive constituent ...

In Aotearoa New Zealand 1 in 3 adults (≥ 15 years) are obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2).1 Around 2000 bariatric procedures are performed each year; approximately half are restrictive, and half are restrictive-malabsorptive.2 Restrictive procedures e.g. gastric sleeve (GS), reduce the size of the stomac...

Treatment of acute pain (e.g. headache, soft tissue injuries, or following minor procedures) in pregnant and breastfeeding women follows the same principles as for all adults (illustrated below). Mild to moderate pain: Paracetamol +/- NSAID e.g. ibuprofen or celecoxib Moderate pain:...

Storage of medicines per manufacturers’ specifications ensures medicines are fit for purpose. If stored outside these specifications, or used beyond the expiry date, medicines may be less effective, and/or have increased toxicity. This bulletin provides a framework for considering whether medic...

The timing of medicine administration in relation to food is not important for most medicines. In general, patients should be advised to take their medicines consistently at the same time with respect to meals. Adherence to medicines is a primary determinant of treatment success. Poor adh...

Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) e.g. empagliflozin & glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA) e.g. dulaglutide & liraglutide are increasingly being used in NZ for type 2 diabetes and other conditions such as heart failure & obesity. Currently their funded...

Sometimes it is necessary to give a lower patch dose than is available. This problem has become more frequent with supply issues for some patch doses. Manipulation of a dose form can affect pharmacokinetics and stability, although there are very few studies involving patches. Cutting or occluding...

Background Pfizer state in their prescribing information that both nirmatrelvir and ritonavir tablets should be swallowed whole and not chewed, broken, or crushed. [1] This is due to a lack of pharmacokinetic data to support administration in this manner. However, a Phase 1 study with a nirmatre...

Probenecid was introduced in the 1950’s to reduce the renal elimination and extend the plasma half-life of penicillins. This effect is exploited therapeutically in the treatment of cellulitis and other infections. It is also used for gout prophylaxis, in light of its uricosuric effects. Prob...

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