Package leaflet: Information for the user Tazocin®

2 g / 0.25 g powder for solution for infusion Tazocin®

4 g / 0.5 g powder for solution for infusion

Piperacillin / Tazobactam

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine because it contains important information for you.

-    Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.

-    If you have any further questions, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.

-    This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.

-    If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

What is in this leaflet:

1.    What Tazocin is and what it is used for

2.    What you need to know before you use Tazocin

3.    Howto use Tazocin

4.    Possible side effects

5.    Howto store Tazocin

6.    Contents of the pack and other information

1. What Tazocin is and what it is used for

Piperacillin belongs to the group of medicines known as “broad-spectrum penicillin antibiotics”. It can kill many kinds of bacteria. Tazobactam can prevent some resistant bacteria from surviving the effects of piperacillin. This means that when piperacillin and tazobactam are given together, more types of bacteria are killed.

Tazocin is used in adults and adolescents to treat bacterial infections, such as those affecting the lower respiratory tract (lungs), urinary tract (kidneys and bladder), abdomen, skin or blood.

Tazocin may be used to treat bacterial infections in patients with low white blood cell counts (reduced resistance to infections).

Tazocin is used in children aged 2-12 years to treat infections of the abdomen such as appendicitis, peritonitis (infection of the fluid and lining of the abdominal organs), and gallbladder (biliary) infections. Tazocin may be used to treat bacterial infections in patients with low white blood cell counts (reduced resistance to infections).

In certain serious infections, your doctor may consider using Tazocin in combination with other antibiotics.

2. What you need to know before you use Tazocin © Do not use Tazocin

-    if you are allergic to piperacillin or tazobactam or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).

-    if you are allergic to antibiotics known as penicillins, cephalosporins or other beta-lactamase inhibitors, as you may be allergic to Tazocin.

© Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before using Tazocin

-    if you have allergies. If you have several allergies, make sure you tell your doctor or other healthcare professional before receiving this product.

-    if you are suffering from diarrhoea before, or if you develop diarrhoea during or after your treatment. In this case, make sure you tell your doctor or other healthcare professional immediately. Do not take any medicine for the diarrhoea without first checking with your doctor.

-    if you have low levels of potassium in your blood. Your doctor may want to check your kidneys before you take this medicine and may perform regular blood tests during treatment.

-    if you have kidney or liver problems, or are receiving haemodialysis. Your doctor may want to check your kidneys before you take this medicine, and may perform regular blood tests during treatment.

-    if you are taking certain medicines (called anticoagulants) to avoid an excess of blood clotting (see also Other medicines and Tazocin in this leaflet) or any unexpected bleeding occurs during the treatment. In this case, you should inform your doctor or other healthcare professional immediately.

-    if you develop convulsions during the treatment. In this case, you should inform your doctor or other healthcare professional.

-    if you think you developed a new or worsening infection. In this case, you should inform your doctor or other healthcare professional.

© Children

Piperacillin/tazobactam is not recommended for use in children below the age of 2 years due to insufficient data on safety and effectiveness.

© Other medicines and Tazocin Please tell your doctor or other healthcare professional if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription. Some medicines may interact with piperacillin and tazobactam.

These include:

-    medicine for gout (probenecid). This can increase the time it takes for piperacillin and tazobactam to leave your body.

-    medicines to thin your blood or to treat blood clots (e.g. heparin, warfarin or aspirin).

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-    medicines used to relax your muscles during surgery. Tell your doctor if you are going to have a general anaesthetic.

-    methotrexate (medicine used to treat cancer, arthritis or psoriasis). Piperacillin and tazobactam can increase the time it takes for methotrexate to leave your body.

-    medicines that reduce the level of potassium in your blood (e.g. tablets enhancing urination or some medicines for cancer).

-    medicines containing the other antibiotics tobramycin, gentamicin or vancomycin. Tell your doctor if you have kidney problems.

© Effect on laboratory tests Tell the doctor or laboratory staff that you are taking Tazocin if you have to provide a blood or urine sample.

© Pregnancy and breast-feeding

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or other healthcare professional for advice before receiving this medicine. Your doctor will decide if Tazocin is right for you. Piperacillin and tazobactam can pass to a baby in the womb or through breast milk. If you are breast-feeding, your doctor will decide if Tazocin is right for you.

© Driving and using machines

The use of Tazocin is not expected to affect the ability to drive or use machines.

Tazocin contains sodium

Tazocin 2 g / 0.25 g contains 5.67 mmol (130 mg) of sodium.

Tazocin 4 g / 0.5 g contains 11.35 mmol (261 mg) of sodium.

This should be taken into consideration if you are on a controlled-sodium diet.

3. Howto use Tazocin

Your doctor or other healthcare professional will give you this medicine through an infusion (a drip for 30 minutes) into one of your veins.

© Dosage

The dose of medicine given to you depends on what you are being treated for, your age, and whether or not you have kidney problems.

© Adults and adolescents above 12 years of age

The usual dose is 4 g / 0.5 g of piperacillin / tazobactam given every 6-8 hours, which is given into one of your veins (directly into the blood stream). © Children aged 2 to 12 years The usual dose for children with abdominal infections is 100 mg /12.5 mg / kg of body weight of piperacillin / tazobactam given every 8 hours into one of your veins (directly into the blood stream). The usual dose for children with low white blood cell counts is 80 mg /10 mg / kg of body weight of piperacillin / tazobactam given every 6 hours into one of your veins (directly into the blood stream). Your doctor will calculate the dose depending on your child’s weight but each individual dose will not exceed 4 g / 0.5 g of Tazocin.

You will be given Tazocin until the sign of infection has gone completely (5 to 14 days).

Q Patients with kidney problems

Your doctor may need to reduce the dose of Tazocin or how often you are given it. Your doctor may also want to test your blood to make sure that your treatment is at the right dose, especially if you have to take this medicine for a long time.

Q If you receive more Tazocin than you should As you will receive Tazocin from a doctor or other healthcare professional, you are unlikely to be given the wrong dose. However, if you experience side effects, such as convulsions, or think you have been given too much, tell your doctor immediately.

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O If you miss a dose of Tazocin

If you think you have not been given a dose of Tazocin, tell your doctor or other healthcare professional immediately.

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or nurse.

4. Possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

See a doctor immediately if you experience any of these potentially serious side effects of Tazocin:

The serious side effects (with frequency in brackets) of Tazocin are:

-    serious skin rashes [Stevens-Johnson syndrome, dermatitis bullous (Not known), toxic epidermal necrolysis (Rare)] appearing initially as reddish target-like spots or circular patches often with central blisters on the trunk. Additional signs include ulcers in the mouth, throat, nose, extremities, genitals and conjunctivitis (red and swollen eyes). The rash may progress to widespread blistering or peeling of the skin and potentially may be life-threatening

-    severe potentially fatal allergic condition (drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms) that can involve the skin and most importantly other organs under the skin such as the kidney and the liver

-    a skin condition (acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis) accompanied by fever, which consists of numerous tiny fluid filled blisters contained within large areas of swollen and reddened skin

-    swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body (Not known)

-    shortness of breath, wheezing or trouble breathing (Not known)

-    severe rash or hives (Uncommon), itching or rash on the skin (Common)

-    yellowing of the eyes or skin (Not known)

-    damage to blood cells [the signs include: being breathless when you do not expect it, red or brown urine (Not known), nosebleeds (Rare) and small spot bruising (Not known)], severe decrease in white blood cells (Rare)

-    severe or persistent diarrhoea accompanied by a fever or weakness (Rare)

If any of the following side effects gets serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or other healthcare professional.

© Very common side effects (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):

-    diarrhoea

© Common side effects (may affect up to 1 in

10 people):

-    yeast infection

-    decrease in platelets, decrease of red blood cells or blood pigment / haemoglobin, abnormal lab test (positive direct Coombs), prolonged blood clotting time (activated partial thromboplastin time prolonged)

-    decrease in blood protein

-    headache, sleeplessness

-    abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, constipation, upset stomach

-    increase in blood liver enzymes

-    skin rash, itching

-    abnormal kidney blood tests

-    fever, injection site reaction

© Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):

-    decrease in white blood cells (leukopenia), prolonged blood clotting time (prothrombin time prolonged)

-    decreased blood potassium, decreased blood sugar

-    low blood pressure, inflammation of the veins (felt as tenderness or redness in the affected area), reddening of skin

-    increase of a blood pigment breakdown product (bilirubin)

-    skin reactions with redness, formation of skin lesions, nettle rash

-    joint and muscle pain

-    chills

© Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):

-    severe decrease in white blood cells, bleeding of the nose

-    serious infection of the colon, inflammation of the mucous lining of the mouth

-    detachment of the top layer of the skin all over the body (toxic epidermal necrolysis)

© Not known side effects (cannot be estimated from the available data):

-    severe decrease of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets (agranulocytosis), decrease in white blood cells (neutropenia), decrease of red blood cells due to premature breakdown or degradation, small spot bruising, bleeding time prolonged, increase of platelets, increase of a specific type of white blood cells (eosinophilia)

-    allergic reaction and severe allergic reaction

-    inflammation of the liver, yellow staining of the skin or whites of the eyes

-    serious body wide allergic reaction with skin and mucous lining rashes, blistering and various skin eruptions (Stevens-Johnson Syndrome), severe allergic condition involving skin and other organs such as the kidney and the liver (drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms), numerous tiny fluid filled blisters contained within large areas of swollen and reddened skin accompanied by fever (acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis), skin reactions with blistering (dermatitis bullous)

-    poor kidney functions and kidney problems

Piperacillin therapy has been associated with an

increased incidence of fever and rash in cystic

fibrosis patients.

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly (see details below). By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

United Kingdom

Yellow Card Scheme website: www.mhra.aov.uk/vellowcard

Malta

ADR Reporting Website:

www.medicinesauthoritv.aov.mt/adrportal

Ireland

HPRA Pharmacovigilance,

Earlsfort Terrace, IRL - Dublin 2;

Tel: +353 1 6764971; Fax: +353 1 6762517. Website: www.hpra.ie: E-mail: medsafetv@hpra.ie.

5.    How to store Tazocin

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and vial after “EXP”. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.

Unopened vials: Do not store above 25°C.

For single use only. Discard any unused solution. Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help protect the environment.

6.    Contents of the pack and other information Q What Tazocin contains

- The active substances are piperacillin and tazo-bactam.

Each vial contains 2 g piperacillin (as sodium salt) and 0.25 g tazobactam (as sodium salt). Each vial contains 4 g piperacillin (as sodium salt) and 0.5 g tazobactam (as sodium salt).

- The other ingredients are citric acid monohydrate and edetate disodium (EDTA).

O What Tazocin looks like and contents of the pack

Tazocin 2 g / 0.25 g is a white to off-white powder supplied in a vial.

Packs containing 1, 5,10,12, 25 or 50 vials.

Tazocin 4 g / 0.5 g is a white to off-white powder supplied in a vial.

Packs containing 1, 5,10,12, 25 or 50 vials.

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Q Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer

UK MA Holder: Pfizer Limited, Ramsgate Road, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9NJ, United Kingdom.

Ireland MA Holder: Pfizer Healthcare Ireland,

9 Riverwalk, National Digital Park,

Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24, Ireland Malta MA Holder: Pfizer Hellas S.A.

243, Messoghion Avenue, 154 51 N. Psychiko, Greece

Manufacturer:

Wyeth Lederle s.r.l.

Via Franco Gorgone, Zona Industriale 95100 Catania Italy

This leaflet was last revised in UK: 05/2016 IE: 05/2016

Ref: TA 12_0 UK & IE

09/05/16 12.04