[Titch]

Speaking as a practice pharmacist I would love pharmacists to do MURs on people taking clopidogrel.

I acknowledge that some background info is needed as to why it is being taken but in general:

Combination of aspirin+clopidogrel only licensed for up to 1 year - normally stop clopidogrel after 1 year and continue with aspirin alone
Sometimes both needed long-term but pt should be counselled re increased GI risk

Clopidogrel alone - used where aspirin not tolerated but in reality this is a grey area and it's often started when someone has had GI symptoms with aspirin. A more logical route these days would be to add a PPI and the evidence that clopidogrel is less GI-irritant is poor: the main study comapres clopidogrel to 325mg aspirin daily - hardly a realistic dose.


Even just a MUR that confirms the symptoms someone gets when they take aspirin is useful and welcome to the GP as at least the prescribing of clopidogrel can be justified or reviewed via this information.