How to Research Prescription Drugs Like Diprivan

The drug Diprivan or Propofol has been in the news lately as a prescription drug Michael Jackson may have taken. If you are interested in prescription drug research and learning about this medication or others, you can utilize the FDA website and other websites for accurate information and any warnings and recalls that may have been issued.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Just your computer and an interest in learning about prescription drugs.

1. Go to your favorite search engine and put FDA in the blank to find prescription drug information. Once you are on the FDA website (operated by the Federal Government), put the drug name in their search box. You will see the premarket information and the postmarket information. They report in 2007 that Diprivan had caused chills and fever shortly after use. The CDC and the FDA reviewed these cases to see if they could find bacteria levels that might cause this problem. Since that time, there have been warnings in the package insert and the PDR (Physician's Desk Reference) about aseptic techniques for handling.

2. Once you have found the prescription drug information available from the FDA, go back to the search engine and put the drug name (in this case "diprivan package insert") in the search to see what the insert has to say. This is an Astra-Zeneca drug, and the package insert is shown on their website. It reports the importance of keeping it sterile, and that it decreases ventilation and affects the cardio-respiratory system. They suggest that for minor surgeries, nitrous oxide and Diprivan may be used together.

3. Look for INDICATIONS for use of the prescription drug. This tells the reader what it can be used for. This particular drug can be used for different anesthesia purposes, head patients and status epilepticus or seizure patients.

4. Check the WARNINGS for the drug. This one has warnings for continuous monitoring, and that it should be administered by an anesthesiologist.
   
   "For general anesthesia or monitored anesthesia care (MAC) sedation, DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion should be administered only by persons trained in the administration of general anesthesia and not involved in the conduct of the surgical/diagnostic procedure. Patients should be continuously monitored, and facilities for maintenance of a patent airway, artificial ventilation, and oxygen enrichment and circulatory resuscitation must be immediately available."
   
   This prescription drug calls for an anesthesiologist with continuous monitoring and facilities for oxygen, ventilation and circulatory resuscitation available.

5. Check for OVERDOSE effects of the medication. Cardio-respiratory depression is the overdose caution on this one, and oxygen ventilation is recommended.
   
   You can read information on prescription drugs and medications for yourself and see what they are and what effects they have, what uses are approved, and any warnings or other information on the package insert. You can become an informed consumer with knowledge about your own medications by this same procedure.

Tips & Warnings

• An interesting point on this prescription drug is that it has been used as a colonoscopy anethetic, and gastroenterologists have requested that the anesthiologist requirement be removed from the package insert.
• copyright 2009 Linda Richard
• Feel free to link to this article or send it to a friend.
• As with any research, read carefully.

Resources

• FDA information on Diprivan
• Astra Zeneca information on Diprivan
• Information about Colonoscopy use
• Be Careful with Over the Counter Drugs
• Find Health Information for Senior Citizens
• Internet Safety for your Family
• Contact Us

[karileighk]

on 7/4/2009 Checking for warnings is very important.