New UQ service tests effectiveness of medication

People with conditions such as osteoarthritis and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can test the effectiveness of their medications by accessing a free service now available at The University of Queensland.

In an Australian-first, UQ's Centre for General Practice has established an Individualised Medication Effectiveness Testing (IMET) service.

Doctors throughout Australia, and their patients, are able to take advantage of this ongoing service which tests individual responses to particular medicines such as the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used to treat osteoarthritis.

Patients experiencing osteoarthritis pain and stiffness are being offered a 12-week IMET, which compares NSAIDs with Panadol(R), while children with ADHD and their parents are being offered an IMET to test the effectiveness of Dexamphetamine (or Ritalin).

Professor of Evidence-Based Care and practising GP Paul Glasziou said up until now, there had been no way of knowing whether a particular medication worked for a person without just trying it.

"We often start a patient on a particular medication and then see how they feel, but it is hard to know if one particular medication works better than another does," Professor Glasziou said.

"This is particularly true with medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that work very well for some people with osteoarthritis but not others."

Already 30 people with osteoarthritis have been helped by completing an osteoarthritis IMET, he said. Only one-third of these 30 patients were helped by ibuprofen, an anti-inflammatory drug, with most of the remainder discovering Panadol(R) to be an equally effective or better treatment.

Similarly, the ADHD IMET comparing the effectiveness of Dexamphetamine (or Ritalin) with a placebo had found only 40 percent of the 17 patients tested so far were assisted by the stimulant medication.

Professor Glasziou said these results showed the IMET to be an excellent means of discovering whether a child was "growing out" of their ADHD medication.

"This IMET lasts for six weeks, during which time the patient, his or her parent and teacher record behaviour in a special diary. At the end, the diary is analysed and the results used to decide whether the patient's medication works for them."

If you would like to participate or require further information, please contact Cate Duggan on telephone (07) 3212 5682.

Media: For more information, contact Professor Paul Glasziou (telephone 07 3365 5427) or Shirley Glaister at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2339).