Prescribing Trend Decreases from 2004

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The obvious sharp marginal trend reversal of Venlafaxine Total Prescriptions in 2004 to 2006 correlates with: -

1 The “Report of the CSM Expert Working Group on the Safety of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)” published December 2004; which single out Venlafaxine for its potential for cardiotoxicity and toxicity in overdose.
http://www.mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/pl-p/documents/drugsafetymessage/con019472.pdf

2 “NICE Clinical Guidelines 23: Depression” published December 2004, issued new guidelines for treatment with Venlafaxine; 1.5.2.16 restricting treatment initiation to specialist mental health medical practitioners and in 1.5.2.17 reinforcing that venlafaxine treatment should only be managed under supervision of specialist mental health medical practitioners.
http://www.bpd-mind.fsnet.co.uk/NICE_Depression.pdf

Both 1.5.2.16 and 1.5.2.17 recommendations were surreptitiously deleted from the revised prescribing advice issued 31 May 2006 at which point increasing venlafaxine prescription trends resumed.
http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG23fullguideline.pdf


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Data collection reference:
Department of Health; NHS; Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) - England.
1998 to 2007:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/PublicationsAndStatistics/Statistics/StatisticalWorkAreas/StatisticalHealthCare/DH_4086488
2008:
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/PCA%202008/PCA%202008.pdf
11-P-04 Tuesday