Sibutramine: Safe Drug to Assist Dieters?
Brazil now has more than 40 percent of its population who are overweight and another 10 percent who are obese. (According to SBEM, the Brazilian society of Endocrinology and Metabolism.)
As a result drugs prescribed for dieting are increasing in popularity. Thus ANVISA (National Agency for Sanitary Vigilance) has become more demanding when it comes to the prescription and sale of drugs for dieting. As of today, sibutramine ceases to be sold with the standard or “Simple” white prescription form, but instead only can be prescribed with the blue or “Special” doctor’s prescription. This stricter medicinal control of the sale of Sibutramine by ANVISA will limit its irregular drug prescription and its indiscriminate use. Drug prescriptions such as Sibutramine should be distributed only by medical experts.
Sibutramine is one of the most widely sold drugs for dieting in Brazil due to its safety (when taken as indicated) and its reasonable price, which came down after the end of its patent protection in 2007. Sibutramine promotes the sensation of satiety and the reduction of appetite, by reducing serotonin levels.
Now that doctors must prescribe Sibutramine using the Special blue prescription form, the drug will come under greater health surveillance. In order to use the Special prescription forms, doctors must pass Sanitary Vigilance with all the necessary documentation and sign a liability release, which entitles the patient to only the amount of pills numbered on the prescription, unlike the Simple prescription forms, which are renewable.
Sibutramine has been on the Brazilian market for 15 years, and it is considered among healthy individuals to be an effective and safe medicinal product. A prescription of Sibutramine is thought to be a good choice for dieting among doctors, (preferably a specialist), as the doctor is responsible for patient monitoring and controlled use, along with the improvement of the patient’s lifestyle. Before receiving a prescription of any product to aid in weight reduction, a patient must be subjected to additional tests to ascertain an accurate picture of the patient’s overall health. Most drugs have use restrictions when patients exhibit serious problems with their heart, lung, kidney or liver.
Additionally, Sibutramine should not be the only treatment practiced by a patient wishing to lose weight. A dieting patient needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle, based on a balanced diet and regular physical activity. Therefore, frequent monitoring of the patient by medical experts and the correct usage of Sibutramine enhance the benefits of this product and often provide excellent results.
