Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Safety Implications of the Over-the-Counter Availability of H2-Antagonists

  • Leading Article
  • Published:
Drug Safety Aims and scope Submit manuscript

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Andersen M, Schou JS. Bivirkninger af ulcusmedicin for og efter overførsel af cimetidin, ranitidin og sukralfat til håndkøb (Adverse reactions to peptic ulcer medicine before and after cimetidine, ranitidine and sucralfate became available over-the-counter). Ugeskrift for Laeger 153: 1410–1413, 1991a

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Andersen M, Schou JS. Adverse reactions to H2-receptor antagonists in Denmark before and after transfer of cimetidine and ranitidine to over-the-counter status. Pharmacology and Toxicology 69: 253–258, 1991b

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aymard J-P, Aymard B, Netter P, Bannwarth B, Trechot P, et al. Haematological adverse effects of histamine H2-receptor antagonists. Medical Toxicology 3: 430–448, 1988

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown C, Rees WDW. Dyspepsia in general practice. British Medical Journal 300: 829–830, 1990

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bytzer P, Hansen JM, Schaffalitzky de Muckadell OB. Overførsel af potent ulcusmedicin til håndkøb: en undersøgelse af aendringer i forbrugsmønstret og i presset på de diagnostiske tilbud (Over-the-counter availability of potent ulcer drugs: study of changes in the drug use pattern and the pressure on diagnostic measures). Ugeskrift for Laeger 153: 1405–1410, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Colin-Jones DG. Acid suppression: how much is needed? British Medical Journal 301: 564–565, 1990

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Colin-Jones DG, Bloom B, Bodemar G. Management of dyspepsia: report of a working party. Lancet 1: 576–579, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  • Colin-Jones DG, Langman MJS, Lawson DH, Logan RFA, Paterson KA, et al. Post-cimetidine surveillance for up to ten years: incidence of carcinoma of the stomach and oesophagus. Quarterly Journal of Medicine 78: 13–19, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Colin-Jones DG, Langman MJS, Lawson DH, Vessey MP. Post-marketing surveillance of the safety of cimetidine: mortality during second, third and fourth years of follow-up. British Medical Journal 291: 1084–1088, 1985

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cranz H. Over-the-counter drugs: the issues. Drug Safety 5 (Suppl. 1): 120–125, 1990

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dukes MNG. H2-blockers on free sale? In Dukes & Beeley (Eds) Side effects of drugs annual 13, pp. 330–331, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1989

  • Gormsen M, Jensen KS, Matzen P, Bonnevie O. Grundlaget for anvendelse af ulcusmedicin i almen praksis (The basis for employment of ulcer medicine in general practice). Ugeskrift for Laeger 150: 2169–2171, 1988

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gossel TA. Implications of the reclassification of drugs from prescription-only to over-the-counter status. Clinical Therapeutics 13: 200–215, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen JM, Bytzer P, Schaffalitzky de Muckadell OB. Ulcuskomplikationer i Fyns Amt i perioden 1980–1990: aendringer i indlaeggelsesfrekvensen efter frigivelsen af potent ulcusmedicin til håndkøb (Ulcer complications in the county of Funen during 1980–1990: are there any changes in the frequency of hospitalisation following the release of potent ulcer drugs for over-the-counter sale?) Ugeskrift for Laeger 153: 1402–1409, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Health and Public Policy Committee, American College of Physicians. Endoscopy in the evaluation of dyspepsia. Annals of Internal Medicine 102: 266–269, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  • Heatley RV, Rathbone BJ. Dyspepsia: a dilemma for doctors? Lancet 2: 779–781, 1987

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Holt S. Alcohol and H2-receptor antagonists: over the counter, under the table? American Journal of Gastroenterology 85: 516–517, 1990

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Humphries TJ, Myerson RM, Gifford LM, Aeugle ME, Josie ME, et al. A unique postmarket outpatient surveillance program of cimetidine: report on phase II and final summary. American Journal of Gastroenterology 79: 593–596, 1984

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krenzelok EP, Litovitz T, Lippold KP, McNally CF. Cimetidine toxicity: an assessment of 881 cases. Annals of Emergency Medicine 16: 1217–1221, 1987

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • La Vecchia C, Negri E, D’Avanzo B, Franceschi S. Histamine2-receptor antagonists and gastric cancer risk. Lancet 336: 355–357, 1990

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis JH. Hepatic effects of drugs used in the treatment of peptic ulcer disease. American Journal of Gastroenterology 82: 987–1003, 1987

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Madhavan S, Schondelmeyer SW. Pharmacists’ evaluations of the nonprescription availability of metaproterenol, cimetidine, ibuprofen and nystatin. American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy 46: 2486–2492, 1989

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mikulin T, Hardcastle JD. Gatric cancer — delay in diagnosis and its causes. European Journal of Cancer and Clinical Oncology 23: 1683–1690, 1987

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miselli M, Tognoni G. What information for the patient? Large scale pilot study on experimental package inserts giving information on prescribed and over the counter drugs. British Medical Journal 301: 1261–1265, 1990

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Møller H, Lindvig K, Klefter R, Mosbech J, Jensen OM. Cancer occurrence in a cohort of patients treated with cimetidine. Gut 30: 1558–1562, 1989

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Møller H, Nissen A, Mosbech J. Use of cimetidine and other peptic ulcer drugs in Denmark 1977–1990 with analysis of the risk of gastric cancer among cimetidine users. Gut 33: 1166–1169, 1992

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nissen A. Mavesårspraeparater: forbrug, priser og tilskud før og efter den 27.3.1989 (Anti-ulcer drugs: consumption, safety and subsidy before and after March 27, 1989). Ugeskrift for Laeger 153: 1436–1437, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nyrén O, Adami H-O, Bates S, Bergström R, Gustavsson S, et al. Absence of therapeutic benefit from antacids or cimetidine in non-ulcer dyspepsia. New England Journal of Medicine 314: 339–343, 1986

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oster G, Huse DM, Delea TE, Colditz GA, Richter JM. The risks and benefits of an Rx-to-OTC switch: the case of over-the-counter H2-blockers. Medical Care 28: 834–852, 1990

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Penston J, Wormsley KG. Adverse reactions and interactions with H2-receptor antagonists. Medical Toxicology 1: 192–216, 1986

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petersen H. Over the counter sales of histamine2 receptor antagonists. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology 23 (Suppl. 155): 20–22, 1988

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter JB, Jick H, Perera DR, Ylvisaker JT, Hunter JR. Long-term follow-up study of cimetidine. Pharmacotherapy 4: 381–384, 1984

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richter JM, Colditz GA, Huse DM, Delea TE, Oster G. Cimetidine and adverse reactions: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials of short-term therapy. American Journal of Medicine 87: 278–284, 1989

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith SR, Kendall MJ. Ranitidine versus cimetidine: a comparison of their potential to cause clinically important drug interactions. Clinical Pharmacokinetics 15: 44–56, 1988

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WHO. Self-medication in Europe: report on a study of the role of non-prescription medicines, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, 1988a

    Google Scholar 

  • WHO. The assessment of medicinal products for use in self-medication, 2nd ed., Clinical consensus documents 8, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, 1988b

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Danish Committee on Adverse Drug Reactions, Medicines Division, National Board of Health, Frederikssundsvej 378, DK-2700, Brønshøj, Denmark

    Morten Andersen & Jens S. Schou

  2. Department of Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Morten Andersen & Jens S. Schou

Authors
  1. Morten Andersen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jens S. Schou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Andersen, M., Schou, J.S. Safety Implications of the Over-the-Counter Availability of H2-Antagonists. Drug-Safety 8, 179–185 (1993). https://doi.org/10.2165/00002018-199308030-00001

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00002018-199308030-00001

Keywords

Search

Navigation