The Food & Drug Administration FDA Issues Drug Safety Communication Recommending Against Prescription of Pain Reliever Propoxyphene, Darvocet & Darvon.
The FDA has issued a drug safety communication recommending against the prescription of the pain reliever propoxyphene, Darvocet and Darvon reportedly because new data shows that the drug, even when used at therapeutic doses, can cause serious toxicity to the heart, including significant changes to the electrical activity of the heart (i.e., prolonged PR interval, widened QRS complex and prolonged QT interval) which can increase the risk for serious abnormal heart rhythms, according to an FDA propoxyphene, Darvocet and Darvon drug safety communication news report.
The FDA is reportedly recommending that healthcare professionals:
- Stop prescribing and dispensing propoxyphene-containing products such as Darvocet and Darvon to patients.
- Contact patients currently taking propoxyphene-containing products such as Darvocet and Darvon and ask them to discontinue the drug.
- Inform patients of the risks associated with propoxyphene.
- Discuss alternative pain management strategies other than propoxyphene with patients.
- Be aware of the possible risk of cardiac conduction abnormalities (prolonged QT, PR, and QRS intervals) in patients taking propoxyphene and assess patients for these events if they present with any signs or symptoms of arrhythmia.
- Report any side effects with propoxyphene, Darvocet and Darvon to FDA’s MedWatch program.
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