Overview
Safer Medication Use is a bulletin series jointly produced by the Regional Drug and Therapeutics Centre and the Yellow Card Centre Northern and Yorkshire, which aims to promote safer prescribing. It discusses specific drug related safety problems, provides guidance to ensure safe, appropriate prescribing and raises awareness of adverse drug reaction detection and reporting.
Propranolol is increasingly used for the treatment of anxiety. However, several recent critical incidents have raised concerns that there may still be a lack of awareness amongst prescribers over the risks associated with propranolol in overdose. This report aims to raise awareness of the potential toxicity of propranolol in overdose and highlight a specific group of patients who may be at an increased risk of using propranolol for self-harm.