contraceptive drug

(drospirenone 3 mg and ethinyl estradiol 0.030 mg, Berlex)
A low-dose, monophasic oral contraceptive. The first OC to contain drospirenone, an analogue of spironolactone, as its progestin component.
* Recommended Dosage: One tablet daily for 21 days, followed by 7 days of one
inert tablet daily.
* Special Considerations: Drospirenone's antimineralcorticoid properties make it contraindicated in women with renal or adrenal insufficiency or hepatic dysfunction. Serum potassium should be checked during the first cycle in women on daily NSAIDs, ACE-inhibitors, or other drugs that can increase serum potassium.
* Comment: Yasmin is effective and appears safe for "most women," said Dr. Robert Hatcher, professor of gynecology and obstetrics, Emory University Atlanta.
Regarding the newness of drospirenone, which is unlike any other progestin used in OCs, Dr. Hatcher--who was not involved in Yasmin trials--is concerned that some physicians won't pay close attention to the recommended precautions regarding medications a woman may have used before prescribing Yasmin. This issue "will complicate the provision of OCs, since it is no longer correct to assume that if a woman can use estrogen, she is a candidate for any available combination OC."
Claims that drosperinone helps counteract fluid retention "are going to need careful substantiation," he added.