Published: 5 June 2025

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MARC’s remarks: March 2025 meeting

Published: 5 June 2025
Prescriber Update 46(2): 28
June 2025

The Medicines Adverse Reaction Committee (MARC) convened for their 201st meeting on 13 March 2025.

The Committee discussed the safety of fluoroquinolone antibiotics and recommended data sheet updates to reflect the current knowledge of the medicines’ safety profile. This includes updating the warning about disabling and potentially persistent adverse reactions to state that these may be potentially irreversible. The Committee also recommended updating the indications to include a risk-benefit statement for fluoroquinolone use.

The Committee discussed the risk of topical corticosteroid withdrawal reactions and recommended data sheet updates for potent and very potent topical corticosteroids. The indications section should state that the medicine is indicated for short-term use only (up to four continuous weeks) and the overdose section should describe the risk of topical steroid withdrawal. The Committee also recommended that the package labelling of topical corticosteroids should state their potency, for example, mild, moderate, potent or very potent.

The Committee discussed the risk of Parkinson’s disease with stimulant medicines (eg, methylphenidate, dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine) used for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The Committee considered that the available evidence is insufficient to support an association and did not recommend any regulatory action.

See the Medsafe website for the MARC meeting minutes and the reports presented to the MARC.