Recommendations for HLA-B*1502 genotype testing prior to initiation of carbamazepine in new patients

The Ministry of Health (MOH) would like to inform healthcare professionals that genotyping for the HLA-B*1502 allele prior to the initiation of carbamazepine (CBZ)# therapy in new patients of Asian ancestry is now consideredthe standard of care. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) will strengthen the local package inserts for this drug product to highly recommend HLA-B*1502 genotyping test. Please refer to the Dear Healthcare Professional Letter and FAQs for details on this recommendation and information about the HLA-B*1502 test services.#CBZ is indicated for the treatment of epilepsy and other conditions such as diabetic neuropathy, trigeminal neuralgia and bipolar disorders.
Healthcare professional, Therapeutic Products
Published:

Dear Healthcare Professional Letters

12 Dec 2019

Only abstracts of the Dear Healthcare Professional Letters (DHCPL) are provided on this website. Details of the letters can be found on the MOH Alert System, which is accessible via the Health Professionals Portal (HPP). HPP is a one-stop portal for all healthcare professionals in Singapore. Dentists, medical doctors and pharmacists may access HPP at https://www.hpp.moh.gov.sg/, and follow the procedures below to access the MOH Alert system.

Step 1: Scroll down to the bottom navigation panel of the HPP web page. Under the Healthcare Professionals section, expand the dropdown option for ‘Healthcare Professional Portal’ and select your profession. You will be redirected to the specific HPP web page to log in.

Step 2: Click on the Restricted Content icon on the left panel of the web page and log in via SingPass.

Step 3: Click on the MOH Alert icon under the ‘Applications’ section.

Step 4: Click on the Drug Alert tab to view the DHCPLs.