Press release
Ron Law, Risk & Policy Analyst
Medsafe Response Measured and Appropriate
"Medsafe's decision today to ban the sale of 200mg and 400mg tablets of the COX-2 anti-inflammatory medicine Prexige is
a measured and responsible risk management response," says Risk & Policy Analyst, Ron Law (juderon at gmail dot com).
The decision is much more considered that the Australian regulator's knee-jerk response in banning all forms of the drug
and adds weight to critics of the government's failed attempt to hand the regulation of drugs over to Australia.
The Australian response was heavy handed to say the least given the available information.
New Zealand can be greatful to PHARMC's role in risk management in New Zealand. If it had funded the drug then many
thousands of consumers would have been exposed to any high dose risk.
PHARMAC's decisions not to fund Vioxx and Celebrex are believed to have prevented over 500 premature deaths.
It is important that Medsafe continues to monitor Prexige and in fact all medicines closely as highly preventable deaths
due to medicines is responsible for hundred of deaths every year.
Consumers should only use Prexige if other more established pain killers fail.
ENDS