Several medical treatment methods to improve care of patients with ureteric colic have been studied overseas, some of which appear promising.

However, the “medical expulsive therapy” practice for ureteric colic is not widely practiced in Australia. One such medication that is not widely practiced is tamsulosin, which seems to affect the ureter (tube from kidney to bladder) and helps stones pass. This is already in use for other urological conditions in Australia, and studies overseas seem to benefit patients with ureteric colic.

The study found tamsulosin increased the passage of large stones (5-10mm), but no benefit overall of 0.4 mg of tamsulosin daily for patients with smaller stones (less than 5mm) appeared.