FDA Drug Safety Podcast for Healthcare Professionals: Reminder to healthcare providers and patients to enroll in the Avandia-Rosiglitazone Medicines Access Program

Narrator:Welcome to the FDA Drug Safety Podcast for Healthcare Professionals from the Division of Drug Information. Today's topic: Reminder to healthcare providers and patients to enroll in the Avandia-Rosiglitazone Medicines Access Program
LT Stephanie Begansky, a U.S. Public Health Service pharmacist in the Division, will provide you with additional information about this Communication.

Guest Speaker: On November 4, 2011, the Food and Drug Administration issued a Drug Safety Communication reminding healthcare providers and patients about the need to enroll in the Avandia-Rosiglitazone Medicines Access Program² by November 17, 2011 in order to continue prescribing and receiving rosiglitazone-containing medicines, such as Avandia, Avandamet, and Avandaryl. After November 18, 2011, rosiglitazone medicines will no longer be available through retail pharmacies and will only be available by mail order through specially certified pharmacies participating in the program.

Healthcare providers must enroll in the Avandia-Rosiglitazone Medicines Access Program if they wish to prescribe rosiglitazone medicines to outpatients or patients in long-term care facilities. Healthcare providers must also enroll eligible patients in order for the patients to begin or continue to receive rosiglitazone medicines. Enrollment information is also available on the Avandia website at http://www.avandia.com/³.

Patients should schedule an appointment with their healthcare provider as soon as possible to determine if it is appropriate for them to continue taking a rosiglitazone medicine and, if it is, to become enrolled in the Avandia-Rosiglitazone Medicines Access Program.

FDA previously communicated about the restrictions to the prescribing and use of rosiglitazone medicines in the May 18, 2011 Drug Safety Communication⁴.

Narrator: Thank you for listening. The FDA is committed to keeping healthcare professionals informed of the latest safety information. A link to this communication can be found at http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm199082.htm⁵. If you have drug questions, you can reach us at mailto:druginfo@fda.hhs.gov?subject=.

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Drug Safety Podcasts > FDA Drug Safety Podcast for Healthcare Professionals: Reminder to healthcare providers and patients to enroll in the Avandia-Rosiglitazone Medicines Access Program