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Prevacid OTC FDA Alerts

The FDA Alerts below may be specifically about Prevacid OTC or relate to a group or class of drugs which include Prevacid OTC.

MedWatch Safety Alerts are distributed by the FDA and published by Drugs.com. Following is a list of possible medication recalls, market withdrawals, alerts and warnings.

Recent FDA Alerts for Prevacid OTC

Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) - Drug Safety Communication: Clostridium Difficile-Associated Diarrhea (CDAD) Can be Associated With Stomach Acid Drugs

Feb 8, 2012 | Audience: Gastroenerology, Family Practice, Consumer

 


[Posted 02/08/2012]

ISSUE: FDA notified the public that the use of stomach acid drugs known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may be associated with an increased risk of Clostridium difficile–associated diarrhea (CDAD). A diagnosis of CDAD should be considered for patients taking PPIs who develop diarrhea that does not improve. The FDA is working with manufacturers to include information about the increased risk of CDAD with use of PPIs in the drug labels.

FDA is also reviewing the risk of CDAD in users of histamine H2 receptor blockers. H2 receptor blockers are used to treat conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach and small intestine ulcers, and heartburn.

BACKGROUND: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are marketed under various brand and generic drug names as prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) products. They work by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach. Prescription PPIs are used to treat conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach and small intestine ulcers, and inflammation of the esophagus. Over-the-counter PPIs are used to treat frequent heartburn.

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a bacterium that can cause diarrhea that does not improve. Symptoms include watery stool, abdominal pain, and fever, and patients may go on to develop more serious intestinal conditions. The disease can also be spread in hospitals.  

RECOMMENDATION: Patients should immediately contact their healthcare professional and seek care if they take PPIs and develop diarrhea that does not improve. Information for Healthcare Professionals:

  • A diagnosis of CDAD should be considered for PPI users with diarrhea that does not improve.
  • Advise patients to seek immediate care from a healthcare professional if they experience watery stool that does not go away, abdominal pain, and fever while taking PPIs.
  • Patients should use the lowest dose and shortest duration of PPI therapy appropriate to the condition being treated.

Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:


[02/08/2012 - Drug Safety Communication - FDA] 

Lansoprazole Delayed-Release Orally Disintegrating Tablets by Teva Pharmaceuticals: Letter to Healthcare Professionals - Clogged, Blocked Oral Syringes and Feeding Tubes

Apr 15, 2011 | Audience: Risk Manager, Pharmacy, Home Care

ISSUE: The FDA has received reports that Teva’s lansoprazole delayed-release orally disintegrating tablet has clogged and blocked oral syringes and feeding tubes, including both gastric and jejunostomy types, when the drug is administered as a suspension through these devices. The tablets may not fully disintegrate when water is added to them and/or they may disintegrate but later form clumps. These clumps can adhere to the inside walls of oral syringes and feeding tubes. In some cases, patients have had to seek emergency medical assistance and their feeding tubes have had to be unclogged or removed and replaced.

BACKGROUND: Lansoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medication. It is approved for the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), erosive esophagitis (EE), and Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome (a condition involving overproduction of stomach acid).

Teva Pharmaceuticals has voluntarily withdrawn its lansoprazole delayed-release ODT product from distribution at this time. However, some product may remain in stock in pharmacies and other facilities, and some patients may still have the product in their possession. The product may also be sold under the following labels: Sharp Corporation, Cardinal Health, and Quality Packaging Specialist, Inc.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

  • FDA recommends that healthcare professionals evaluate their medication stock and not dispense the Teva lansoprazole delayed-release ODT product to patients for whom the product will be administered through an oral syringe or feeding tube.
  • Patients and caregivers should be instructed not to administer the Teva lansoprazole delayed-release ODT product through oral syringes and/or feeding tubes due to the potential for clogging and blockage of the oral syringe or tube.
  • Read the Healthcare Professional Letter for other specific recommendations and for National Drug Code (NDC) numbers for the affected Teva products.

 

Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:

 

[04/15/2011 - Letter to Healthcare Professionals - FDA]
 

Proton Pump Inhibitor drugs (PPIs): Drug Safety Communication - Low Magnesium Levels Can Be Associated With Long-Term Use

Mar 2, 2011 | Audience: Consumer, Gastroenterology, Family Practice

Prescription PPIs include Nexium (esomeprazole magnesium), Dexilant (dexlansoprazole), Prilosec (omeprazole), Zegerid (omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate), Prevacid (lansoprazole), Protonix (pantoprazole sodium), AcipHex (rabeprazole sodium), and Vimovo (a prescription combination drug product that contains a PPI (esomeprazole magnesium and naproxen).

Over-the-counter (OTC) PPIs include Prilosec OTC (omeprazole), Zegerid OTC (omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate), and Prevacid 24HR (lansoprazole).

ISSUE: FDA notified healthcare professionals and the public that prescription proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs may cause low serum magnesium levels (hypomagnesemia) if taken for prolonged periods of time (in most cases, longer than one year). Low serum magnesium levels can result in serious adverse events including muscle spasm (tetany), irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias), and convulsions (seizures); however, patients do not always have these symptoms. Treatment of hypomagnesemia generally requires magnesium supplements. In approximately one-quarter of the cases reviewed, magnesium supplementation alone did not improve low serum magnesium levels and the PPI had to be discontinued.

BACKGROUND: PPIs work by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach and are used to treat conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach and small intestine ulcers, and inflammation of the esophagus.

RECOMMENDATION: Healthcare professionals should consider obtaining serum magnesium levels prior to initiation of prescription PPI treatment in patients expected to be on these drugs for long periods of time, as well as patients who take PPIs with medications such as digoxin, diuretics or drugs that may cause hypomagnesemia. For patients taking digoxin, a heart medicine, this is especially important because low magnesium can increase the likelihood of serious side effects. Healthcare professionals should consider obtaining magnesium levels periodically in these patients. For additional information, refer to the Data Summary section of the FDA Drug Safety Communication.

Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events, side effects, or product quality problems related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:

[03/02/2011 - Drug Safety Communication - FDA]

Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI): Class Labeling Change

May 25, 2010 | Audience: Family Practice, consumers

including Nexium, Dexilant, Prilosec, Zegerid, Prevacid, Protonix, Aciphex, Vimovo, Prilosec OTC, Zegerid OTC, and Prevacid 24HR

 

[Posted 05/25/2010] FDA notified healthcare professionals and patients of revisions to the prescription and over-the-counter [OTC] labels for proton pump inhibitors, which work by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach, to include new safety information about a possible increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine with the use of these medications.

The new safety information is based on FDA's review of several epidemiological studies that found those at greatest risk for these fractures received high doses of proton pump inhibitors or used them for one year or more. The majority of the studies evaluated individuals 50 years of age or older and the increased risk of fracture primarily was observed in this age group. While the greatest increased risk for fractures in these studies involved people who had been taking prescription proton pump inhibitors for at least one year or who had been taking high doses of the prescription medications (not available over-the-counter), as a precaution, the "Drug Facts" label on the OTC proton pump inhibitors (indicated for 14 days of continuous use) also is being revised to include information about this risk. FDA recommends healthcare professionals, when prescribing proton pump inhibitors, should consider whether a lower dose or shorter duration of therapy would adequately treat the patient's condition.

The safety communication includes a data summary with a table and references which support the epidemiological studies reviewed for this communication.

[05/25/2010 - Drug Safety Communication - FDA]
[05/25/2010 - Possible Increased Risk of Bone Fractures With Certain Antacid Drugs - FDA Consumer Health Update]

    

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