DTB Podcast

July 2023: Whither evidence, COI in guidelines, isotretinoin safety, SGLT2 inhibitors and Utrogestan shortage

In this podcast, James Cave (Editor-in-Chief) and David Phizackerley (Deputy Editor) talk about the July 2023 issue of DTB. They discuss evidence-based medicine, access to evidence and increasing use of press releases and social media to present evidence (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/7/98). They talk about the safety of isotretinoin (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/7/99) and review a study that assessed the accuracy of conflict of interest statements in clinical guidelines (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/7/100). The main review article explores the evidence for cardiac and renal effects of SGLT2 inhibitors (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/7/103). They begin by discussing the impact of the shortage of Utrogestan.

DTB 60th anniversary podcast interview - Barbara Mintzes

In a series of podcasts to mark the 60th anniversary of DTB, we talk to some of DTB's Editorial Board members and other colleagues about their work and their involvement with DTB. In this podcast, David Phizackerley (DTB deputy editor) talks to Barbara Mintzes (DTB associate editor)  who is Associate Professor at the School of Pharmacy and Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney, where she has worked since 2015.  Her background is in epidemiology and the main focus of her work is on pharmaceutical policy, including the effects of direct-to-consumer advertising and physician-directed promotion on medicine use. Barbara talks about her interest in medicines policies, the impact of pharmaceutical and medical device company payments to clinicians, medicalisation of normal life, medicine safety scandals and the impact on those who have been harmed by medicines with a particular focus on women's health.
 
Please subscribe to the DTB podcast to get episodes automatically downloaded to your mobile device and computer. Also, please consider leaving us a review or a comment on the DTB Podcast iTunes podcast page (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dtb-podcast/id307773309). If you want to contact us please email dtb@bmj.com. Thank you for listening.

Aciclovir PEP after VZ exposure in pregnancy, falls and fractures with aspirin, an inclisiran rant

In this podcast, James Cave (Editor-in-Chief) and David Phizackerley (Deputy Editor) talk about the June 2023 issue of DTB. They discuss new guidelines on post-exposure prophylaxisfor varicella or shingles during pregnancy (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/6/82). They review the effect of low-dose aspirin on fractures and falls (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/6/85), and talk about a study that does not provide meaningful cardiovascular outcome data for inclisiran (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/6/86). The main review article explores hospitalisation as a consequence of medication-related harm and the need to reduce the burden of harm caused by medication (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/6/87). They begin by discussing an announcement from NHS England that antibiotics will be provided without the need for a prescription from community pharmacies to free up GP time.
The contact address for the DTB team is dtb@bmj.com.Please subscribe to the DTB podcast to get episodes automatically downloaded to your mobile device and computer. Also, please consider leaving us a review or a comment on the DTB Podcast iTunes podcast page (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dtb-podcast/id307773309). Thank you for listening.

May 2023 - another DTB celebration (or two), OACs and NSAIDs, and siRNA-based therapeutics

In this podcast, James Cave (Editor-in-Chief) and David Phizackerley (Deputy Editor) talk about the May 2023 issue of DTB. They celebrate 60 years since DTB became independent from The Medical Letter and discuss what DTB stands for (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/5/66). They review a retrospective cohort study involving people taking oral anticoagulants that compared the risk of bleeding and embolic events in new users of NSAIDs with those not prescribed NSAIDs (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/5/67). They also talk about the main review article that explores the therapeutics of siRNA medicines (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/5/72). They begin by discussing the UK Government’s recent Budget statement that the MHRA will introduce a new approval process for medicines that have been licensed elsewhere.

When should you take antihypertensive medication. Prescribing for skin conditions in pregnancy

In this podcast, James Cave (Editor-in-Chief) and David Phizackerley (Deputy Editor) talk about the April 2023 issue of DTB. They discuss evidence around morning and evening doses of antihypertensive medication (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/4/50). They review a study that analysed health technology assessment decisions made in Australia, Canada and England (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/4/51) and also talk about managing skin conditions in women who are planning pregnancy or who are pregnant (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/4/55). They begin by responding to a listener's letter about last month's podcast.
The Prescribing for pregnancy series of articles can be found here: https://dtb.bmj.com/pages/prescribing-for-pregnancy-series/

DTB 60th anniversary podcast interview - Joanna Girling

In a series of podcasts to mark the 60th anniversary of DTB, we talk to some of DTB's Editorial Board members and other colleagues about their work and their involvement with DTB. In this podcast, recorded May 2022, David Phizackerley (DTB's deputy editor) talks to Joanna Girling who is a consultant in obstetric medicine in north London and has been involved with DTB since 2006. Joanna talks about her clinical work, her role with establishing the local maternity network and her involvement in research. She also talks about supporting women who have pre-existing medical conditions and who are pregnant or who are planning pregnancy and the importance of checking that they are on the most appropriate medicines.
The contact address for the DTB team is dtb@bmj.com.
Please subscribe to the DTB podcast to get episodes automatically downloaded to your mobile device and computer. Also, please consider leaving us a review or a comment on the DTB Podcast iTunes podcast page (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dtb-podcast/id307773309). Thank you for listenin

Penicillin allergy, lecanemab and Alzeimer’s disease, a new oral contraceptive and statins for all

In this podcast, James Cave (Editor-in-Chief) and David Phizackerley (Deputy Editor) talk about the March 2023 issue of DTB. They discuss incorrect penicillin allergy labels and ways that these can be corrected (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/3/34). They review clinical trial results for lecanameb in early Alzheimer's disease (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/3/37) and also talk about a new combined oral contraceptive that contains estetrol and drospirenone (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/3/39). They begin by discussing a proposal from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to lower the threshold for offering statins for primary prevention.
The contact address for the DTB team is dtb@bmj.com.
Please subscribe to the DTB podcast to get episodes automatically downloaded to your mobile device and computer. Also, please consider leaving us a review or a comment on the DTB Podcast iTunes podcast page (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dtb-podcast/id307773309). Thank you for listening.

Swapping to edoxaban, DOACs in renal impairment, inflammatory rheumatic diseases in pregnancy

In this podcast, James Cave (Editor-in-Chief) and David Phizackerley (Deputy Editor) talk about the February 2023 issue of DTB. They discuss concerns over a national initiative in England to transfer people with atrial fibrillation to edoxaban from other DOACs (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/2/18). They review a study that examined whether the correct dose of DOAC was used in people with renal impairment (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/2/21). They talk about the use of empagliflozin in people with heart failure (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/2/22) and finish with an overview of an article that discusses prescribing for pregnancy for those with inflammatory rheumatic disease (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/2/24).
60th anniversary interview with Dr John Dowden: https://soundcloud.com/bmjpodcasts/dtb-60th-anniversary-podcast-interview-john-dowden
Trends in direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) prescribing in English primary care (2014–2019): https://heart.bmj.com/content/109/3/195
The contact address for the DTB team is dtb@bmj.com.
Please subscribe to the DTB podcast to get episodes automatically downloaded to your mobile device and computer. Also, please consider leaving us a review or a comment on the DTB Podcast iTunes podcast page (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dtb-podcast/id307773309). Thank you for listening.

DTB 60th anniversary podcast interview - John Dowden

In a series of podcasts to mark the 60th anniversary of DTB, we talk to some of DTB's Editorial Board members and other colleagues about their work and their involvement with DTB.
In this podcast, David Phizackerley (DTB's deputy editor) talks to Dr John Dowden, the editor of Australian Prescriber since 1990. Australian Prescriber (https://www.nps.org.au/australian-prescriber) is an independent peer-reviewed journal providing critical commentary on drugs and therapeutics for health professionals, and like DTB, Australian Prescriber was a founder member of the International Society of Drug Bulletins. At the time of recording, John highlighted that public funding for NPS Medicinewise (https://www.nps.org.au/), the organisation that publishes Australian Prescriber, was under threat and unfortunately the Australian Government withdrew funding and the organisation closed at the end of December. John and his team were made redundant, and the future of Australian Prescriber is uncertain.
We wrote an editorial that criticises the decision to remove funding from NPS Medicinewise and you can find this in the January 2023 issue of DTB (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/1/2).
This special series of the DTB Podcast is produced by Letícia Amorim and edited by Brian O'Toole.
Please subscribe to the DTB podcast to get episodes automatically downloaded to your mobile device and computer. Also, please consider leaving us a review or a comment on the DTB Podcast iTunes podcast page (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dtb-podcast/id307773309). Thank you for listening.

Happy New Year, sad news from Australia, toxocarosis in humans and yet more on valproate safety

In this podcast, James Cave (Editor-in-Chief) and David Phizackerley (Deputy Editor) talk about the January 2023 issue of DTB. They begin with another reminder of the concerns over the use of sodium valproate. They talk about the closure of NPS MedicineWise in Australia and the uncertainty over the future of Australian Prescriber - https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/1/2. They highlight the risk of eye problems with dupilumab - https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/1/6 (see more links below) and the challenge of making sure that primary care clinical systems record drugs prescribed by specialists. They discuss toxocarosis in humans and the risk of environmental contamination from parasiticides used for deworming cats and dogs (https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/1/3 and https://dtb.bmj.com/content/61/1/7).
Dupilumab links:
1. Reji MA, Haque A, Goyal S, et al. Dupilumab-induced ocular surface disease: a primer. BMJ Case Reports CP 2022;15:e249019. https://casereports.bmj.com/content/15/4/e249019
2. Nahum Y, Mimouni M, Livny E, et al. Dupilumab-induced ocular surface disease (DIOSD) in patients with atopic dermatitis: clinical presentation, risk factors for development and outcomes of treatment with tacrolimus ointment. British Journal of Ophthalmology 2020;104:776-9. https://bjo.bmj.com/content/104/6/776
The contact address for the DTB team is dtb@bmj.com.
Please subscribe to the DTB podcast to get episodes automatically downloaded to your mobile device and computer. Also, please consider leaving us a review or a comment on the DTB Podcast iTunes podcast page (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dtb-podcast/id307773309). Thank you for listening.