TREATING MENORRHAGIA IN PRIMARY-CARE - AN OVERVIEW OF DRUG TRIALS ANDA SURVEY OF PRESCRIBING PRACTICE

Menorrhagia can be treated by drug therapy or surgery. General practit ioners (GPs) can prescribe drugs to reduce menstrual blood loss as fir st-line treatment, referring patients for surgical treatment if drug t herapy fails. This study examined the efficacy of drugs used to treat menorrhagia and surveyed British GPs to discover the extent to which t hey prescribed the most effective drugs for this condition. The result s suggest that treatment of this condition in primary care falls short of desirable standards. A meta-analysis of randomized trials of drug therapy revealed wide differences in efficacy and side effects. The mo st effective drug (tranexamic acid) is little used by British GPs, whe reas the least effective drug (norethisterone) is the most frequently prescribed.