Posted by Michael Wonder on 29 Nov 2017
Over-reliance in cardiovascular treatment – a supply risk that needs to change
29 November 2017 - New Zealand’s reliance on the cardiovascular medicines metoprolol succinate and cilazapril is out of step with other countries, writes Dr Richard Medlicott, Medical Director of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.
They dominate the market for cardiovascular treatment, despite the availability of alternative funded medications and therapy options, making us particularly vulnerable when supplies run low – as recent stock issues have highlighted. While we have been prescribing these medications appropriately, with both drugs having sound evidence backing them, New Zealand faces a potential risk to supply if we don’t start addressing our prescribing behaviour.
Seventy-two per cent of the approximately 330,000 patients on beta-blockers in this country are prescribed metoprolol succinate extended release tablets. The medication (Myloc CR, Betaloc CR and Metoprolol – AFT CR) is used to treat a range of heartrelated conditions including angina, arrhythmia, heart failure, hypertension and postmyocardial infarction.
