AEMPS: Information about the use of drugs in case of heat wave

As usual at this time, the Spanish Agency for Drugs and Health Care Products (AEMPS) has issued a safety communication giving information about the use of drugs in case of heat wave.

The Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC) also published in June 2009, in the section of its website aimed at population, its recommendations for preventing the effects of excessive heat.

SemFYC advise to exercise extreme caution with the most vulnerable people including the elderly, the chronically ill and bedridden, obese, young children, psychiatric patients and those who take certain medications.

"The drugs that physician should take into account include diuretics (to increase the amount of urine), antihistamines (allergy), anticholinergics (depression, Parkinson's, etc), beta blockers (hypertension), phenothiazines (mental disorders)."

"In any case, you should never remove or reduce the pharmacological treatment without the risk-benefit assessment."


Posted by Jesús Palacio
Englilsh version by Erika Céspedes