octreotide: prescribing and clinical use
Focused clinical detail for use alongside current product information, local policy and patient-specific assessment.
octreotide: clinical details
Prescribing considerations
- Confirm adult acromegaly with previous response and tolerance to a somatostatin analogue.
- Ensure the patient or caregiver receives product-specific injection training.
- Review diabetes, cardiac disease, gallbladder disease, hepatic impairment and previous vitamin B12 deficiency.
- Monitor clinical response and IGF-1; reconsider treatment if biochemical or symptom control is not maintained.
- Discuss contraception or pregnancy planning where relevant.
Contraindications and cautions
- Hypersensitivity to octreotide or any product excipient.
Monitoring
- IGF-1 and acromegaly symptoms
- Pituitary tumour size and visual complications
- Blood glucose and antidiabetic treatment
- Gallbladder ultrasound before and during treatment
- Thyroid and hepatic function
- Heart rate and rhythm where clinically indicated
- Vitamin B12 in patients with previous deficiency
Clinical pharmacology
Octreotide is a long-acting synthetic octapeptide analogue of somatostatin. It preferentially suppresses growth-hormone secretion and also inhibits glucagon, insulin, TSH and several gastro-entero-pancreatic peptides. The selected formulation provides prolonged systemic exposure after subcutaneous administration.
Formulation and product differences
- The selected product is a ready-to-use, prolonged-release subcutaneous solution in a single-use autoinjector.
- It is injected into the abdomen, thigh or buttock and is not for intravenous, intramuscular or intradermal administration.
- It should not be refrigerated and must remain in its original packaging until use.
- It contains soybean phosphatidylcholine and a small quantity of ethanol.
octreotide preparations and strengths
Injection
Route: Parenteral
Strengths: 20 mg
octreotide interactions
Tell the prescriber about all prescribed, non-prescribed and complementary products. Important examples include:
Insulin and other diabetes treatments
Octreotide can raise or lower blood glucose, so monitoring and treatment adjustment may be required.
Beta blockers and calcium-channel blockers
Combined effects may slow the heartbeat, requiring clinical review or adjustment.
Medicines affecting fluid or electrolyte balance
Cardiovascular effects may change, so treatment may need review.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.