Pharmacy Daily | TGA blood glucose advisory

THE Therapeutic Goods Administration has reissued its advisory on portable blood glucose meters using the enzyme glucose dehydrogenase pyrroloquinoline quinone (GDH-PQQ), warning of potential adverse consequences because they can provide false high readings if they are used in the presence of galactose, xylose and maltose. The TGA initially warned about the possible issues about inteference between extraneal peritoneal dialysis solution and the Advantage II blood glucose test strips used with Accu-Chek and Accu-Trend monitors in 2005. Since then “further adverse events have been reported in Australia and worldwide” and although the overall rate of incidence has not markedly increased, the updated advisory is being issued as a precaution. The TGA has highlighted items sold in Australia which use the GDH-PQQ technology including Abbott Freestyle products and Roche Diagnostics Accu-chek strips and sensors. Drug therapies which can interfere with the systems include Icodextrin, Orencia, Octagam, Gamimune, Adept and some radioimmunotherapy agents. Patients undergoing treatment with these substances are warned to use different types of blood glucose monitoring systems.

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