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.

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

Step 1: Select your profession under ‘For Healthcare Professionals’.

Step 2: Click on ‘Useful links’.

Step 3: Click on ‘MOH Alert’ and log in via Singpass.

Step 4: Click on ‘Drug Alerts’ or ‘Med Device Alerts’ to view the DHCPLs.