Media Releases
Information for HRT Prescribers
Medsafe has forwarded information to around 1000 doctors and pharmacists bringing their attention to the recent Women's Health Initiative study into Hormone Replacement Therapy.
The recipients of the information are health professionals who are already linked into Medsafe's Prescriber Update electronic notifications.
Medsafe wants to reassure all prescribers that the New Zealand Guidelines Group guideline on 'Appropriate Prescribing of HRT' issued to all prescribers in June 2001 already reflects most of the new information found in the WHI study.
The Ministry of Health will be working with the New Zealand College of General Practitioners and the New Zealand Medical Association to ensure this message is reiterated to all prescribers.
Pharmaceutical company Wyeth has also sent out information about the study directly to all doctors in New Zealand.
A copy of the information contained in the Medsafe message has been included below.
ENDS
For more information contact:
Hayley Brock
Media Advisor
(04) 496 2115, 025 495 989.
Message from Medsafe
12 July 2002
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) study - Women's Health Initiative
You may be aware of the recent news that the combined HRT treatment arm of
the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study has been prematurely halted. Further
information about this study, and an accompanying editorial, is available on
the JAMA web site:
http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v288n3/ffull/joc21036.html
http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v288n3/ffull/jed20042.html
In response to this news, the Ministry of Health issued a media statement on 10th July 2002: http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/hot/media.htm#10 July 2002
The New Zealand Guidelines Group (NZGG) has also released a media
statement:
http://www.nzgg.org.nz/news/HRT_media_release.cfm
Medsafe and the Ministry of Health would like to reassure prescribers that the NZGG guideline on 'Appropriate prescribing of HRT' (issued to all prescribers in June 2001) already reflects most of the new information found in the WHI study, such as concerns about HRT, breast cancer and venous thromboembolism.
The NZGG has had a preliminary look at the guideline in light of the WHI study findings, and advises that they may need to review the data on stroke and heart disease in low-risk women. It is anticipated that if the HRT guideline does need updating, only minor changes will be required.
Copies of the Guideline are available from the NZGG: phone (04) 471 4180 -
or go to
http://www.nzgg.org.nz/library/gl_complete/gynae_hrt/index.cfm