Leprosy
Mailing List – August 7th, 2007
Ref.: Use of
thalidomide in the Dominican Republic
From: Periche Fernandez J., Santo
Domingo, Dominican Republic
Dear Salvatore,
This is about Leprosy Mailing List - July
30th, 2007 Request of information about thalidomide from Dr Schuler-Faccini
L. I work for the
Dominican Republic (DR) leprosy control programme.
Here in the DR thalidomide is available to our programme from
Grunenthal, a German company. Our
leprosy program director, the DR ministry of health and the Grunenthal
director signed an agreement so any teratogenicity is our
responsibility.
This thalidomide we have is only
prescribed to our leprosy patients.
The only other place in the DR where this drug is available is
the Dominican cancer league.
We handed for free the thalidomide to
leprosy cases with ENL. Guidelines
we follow about this prescription include:
-written informed consent to use this
drug, patients must know all its possible side effects and sign a
discharge in the case of not following instruction to avoid pregnancy;
-female patients at childbearing age have
to be using an effective contraceptive method. What we do we refer the
patient to a gynaecologist, hers or our, but either one will provide
us with a small brief of her GO history and contraceptive method used
plus authorizing the use of the
drug;
-both sexes are instructed about not sharing this drug with anybody
else. This is part of the
informed consent and discharge they sign.
Dose 100 mg in the morning in mild cases
100 mg morning and evening with more severe cases
100 mg three times a day with patient severely ill. High fever, chills, in bed,
cant walk etc
Combine with prednisone, ibuprofen, diclofenac etc to reduce the dose
of thalidomide, give support to specific signs. Protect stomach with omeprazol,
ranitidine etc.
Best regards,
Dr. Juan Periche Fernandez
Medico-Dermatologo
Director Unidad de Lepra del Distrito Nacional
Coordinador Comite de etica interno (Internal review board)
Instituto Dermatologico y Cirugia de Piel
Dr Huberto Bogaert Diaz (IDCP-Dr.HBD)
office (809) 684-3257 ext 234
Fax (809) 681-7687
Apartado postal 1090
Corazones Unidos
Dermatologia y Cosmiatria
(809) 683-6185
mobile (809)815-1060
e mail jperiche@hvtudr.org
Santo Domingo DN Rep Dominicana
