ADHD medicines shortages, fluoroquinolone safety, drugs not to prescribe

In this podcast recorded in early January, James Cave (Editor-in-Chief) and David Phizackerley (Deputy Editor) talk about the February 2024 issue of DTB. They discuss the editorial that highlights problems associated with shortages of ADHD medicines.  They talk about two safety alerts issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency that focus on the adverse effects of fluoroquinolone antibiotics on physical and mental health.  The main article considers various NHS initiatives that have attempted to limit primary care prescribing of drugs that are deemed to have limited clinical value. They begin the podcast with sad news of the death of Dr Sidney Wolfe (1937-2024), a colleague and friend who co-founded the US Health Research Group and Public Citizen (a nonprofit consumer advocacy organisation) and who was "a towering public health leader and an unparalleled consumer champion". 

 

Links

• Remembering Sid Wolfe: https://www.citizen.org/remembering-sidney-wolfe/
• Mandatory disclosure of all pharmaceutical and medical device companies’ payments to healthcare providers: learning from the US: https://dtb.bmj.com/content/60/4/52
• Worst Pills, Best Pills: https://www.citizen.org/topic/safe-affordable-drugs-devices/worst-pills-best-pills/

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