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EDITORIALS: J O Drife The third generation pill controversy ("continued") BMJ 2001; 323: 119-120 [Full text]

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Reaction of Organon /AKZO Nobel.

Peter Aalstein   (21 July 2001)

Reaction of Organon /AKZO Nobel. 21 July 2001
Peter Aalstein, general practitioner Capelle a/d IJssel ,Netherlands. Send response to journal: Re: Reaction of Organon /AKZO Nobel.	L.S., In the city of Capelle a/d IJssel (east of Rotterdam) with ± 65.000 inhabitants ,the total group of local G.P.'s ( 26 in number!)decided -already in march 2001- to communicate to all their female patients,using 3 th generation contraconceptive pills,the increased risc of getting venous thrombosis. We decided that all oral contraceptives,contain- ing gestoden or desogestrel (=3 th generation),have a greater risc in causing venous thrombosis and because of that we give the advice (to our patients) to change from 3 th generation too 2 th generation oral contraceptives! As a result of this action I had several telephone-calls with the director of Organon/AKZO/NL ( making Marvelon , containing desogestrel).He called on me with the "offer" to give a lecture to our group about "the real facts" of the whole story of venous riscs in using oral contracepti- ves. In fact he was very displeased because of our advice to our patients.His opinion was that (with making so much "fuss") we were taking the risc of more unwished pregnancies in the group of younger women! We answered him that -for the time being- we were not interested in the lecture he proposed. P.Aalstein ,chairman of the G.P.'s in Capelle a/d IJssel.