Benoxaprofen--adverse reactions and monitoring in general practice.

We report on the pattern of use of benoxaprofen (Opren) in a single group practice for a period which included the complete clinical life of the drug. One hundred and seventy-two patients of the 6495 practice patients had been prescribed benoxaprofen, but 55% had only a small exposure (less than 20 g). Recorded adverse reactions, of which none was serious, appeared in 25 patients. Most were taking benoxaprofen for osteoarthritis (53%) or non-specific musculoskeletal pain (39.9%). The issue of a prescription was not recorded in 19.6% of cases and 88% were on additional drugs. Greater precision in record-keeping is required to avoid problems similar to the experience with benoxaprofen.