NICE has issued a Final Appraisal Determination on prucalopride, which supports its use as an option for the treatment of chronic constipation only in women for whom treatment with at least two laxatives from different classes at the highest tolerated recommended doses for at least 6 months has failed to provide adequate relief and invasive treatment for constipation is being considered. If treatment with prucalopride is not effective after 4 weeks, the patient should be re-examined and the benefit of continuing treatment reconsidered. Prucalopride should only be prescribed by a clinician with experience of treating chronic constipation, who has supervised the woman’s previous courses of laxative treatments.

The appeal period for this appraisal will close on 5 November 2010.