Medics have issued an urgent warning over propranolol, a beta blocker used to treat high blood pressure, migraines, and anxiety disorders. Pharmacists and doctors have joined forces to call on regulators to review the safety advice for the drug, which is prescribed by the NHS for generalised anxiety disorder, migraines, and high blood pressure.
Deaths and overdoses in 2023
The drug has been linked to a dozen deaths in 2023 alone. The 12 people who lost their lives that year were among the 318 patients who took intentional overdoses, according to reports.
That prompted the Royal College of Pharmacy (RCPharm), the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), and the National Poisons Information Service to sound the alarm over the safety advice given to patients when propranolol is prescribed for anxiety.
Concerns over overdose risks
“While propranolol remains an effective treatment for many patients, its use for anxiety presents challenges,” said RCPharm’s medication safety officer, Kate Ryan. “We are concerned about the serious consequences of overdose, particularly for vulnerable individuals.”
Dr Zuzanna Sawicka, from the RCP, added: “We are asking the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to review whether the current indication for generalised anxiety disorder and associated safety information remain appropriate.
“Strengthening awareness of these risks among healthcare professionals and patients could support safer prescribing decisions and help prevent avoidable harm.”
Review and rising prescriptions
The letter was sent to the MHRA in July, but RCPharm only went public with its concerns last week. Responding to the letter, the MHRA said it will launch a review of propranolol harms, usage for anxiety, and whether stronger safety warnings are needed, as reported by The Pharmaceutical Journal.
Propranolol usage has exploded in recent years, with prescriptions for teenage girls rising by 92 percent in the last decade, meaning more than a million 12-17 year-olds take it regularly, according to data reported by The Observer.
That is despite RCPharm claiming there is ‘no proven evidence that propranolol is effective in the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder’.
