Metamizole crisis talks
Hearing over Metamizole's effects on Britons was held in Madrid on Wednesday
Costa representatives at urgent talks in Madrid this week
HEALTH chiefs, genetic experts, doctors and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry met in Madrid on Wednesday to hold a summit to discuss the growing safety fears over the controversial painkiller metamizole
The crisis talks were held at the offices of the powerful medical regulator Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios (AEMPS) and aimed at taking action to protect patients from dangerous side effects.
Research has shown northern Europeans – including British people – are among ‘at risk’ groups with an increased likelihood of developing agranulocytosis; a sudden and dangerous fall in white blood cells.
This dramatic change hits the body’s ability to naturally fight infection and can trigger sepsis, which can be fatal or cause “horrific” life-changing complications.
Campaigner Cristina Garcia del Campo, a professional medi- cal translator, started collecting evidence following the death of a Costa Blanca pensioner who was given metamizole – available under a variety of brand names and commonly Nolotil in Spain.
This summer she was invited to the headquarters of AEMPS to present a case to “shocked” members of the licensing body and was promised the national authority would take action – and returned to the Spanish capital this week.
In April, Marina Salúd – the health authority covering the Marina Alta from Denia Hospital – took the unusual step of issuing a warning to doctors and medical practitioners advising they use a “substitute” analgesic when administering pain relief to British and Scandinavian residents but underlined it was not “a prohibition”.
Cristina said she was again able to present her findings; she has folders bursting with cases of patients across Spain listing their reactions to metamizole after using social media to appeal for evidence.
Prevention
She said no decision was immediately taken about any preventative action over a commonly-used drug considered ‘safe’ in Spain. “I said if they could not make a decision on the day, at least they should stop giving it to ‘at risk’ groups.”
And Cristina said she took the warning issued by the Marina Salúd as an example of a stopgap measure to increase safety across whole communities. “I want them to say ‘stop giving it until we are sure’.”
She said telling at risk patients to simply say they did not want the drug or were allergic to it was not a step forward.
“There are doctors, anaesthetists, and medical professionals who will not give metamizole to anyone at risk and say ‘take this’ – there are also a lot of doctors who do not know about the effects of this on people and have not seen any of the publicity and just keep giving it,” she said.
“It is because they have not had any order from AEMPS and no experience of the side effects; they give it to people who don’t actually want it.”
Cristina, who said was happy with the case she was able to make despite there being ‘ people who might not agree with me’ at the meeting, said it was a cordial and professional hearing.
“I presented the evidence, medical notes signed by doctors and I asked them to make an announcement like the Marina Salúd warning,” she said. “I said they should issue some instructions; now that they know the dangers, whether they accept it or not.”