Memos and Alerts
Hyoscine butylbromide injection – supply issues
Hyoscine butylbromide 20mg/1ml injection (Buscopan injection) is included in NECN Palliative Care guidelines and linked care plans as an option for […]
Prevention of Future Death Notice – the EPS system does not highlight urgent prescriptions to pharmacies
“The EPS system does NOT allow urgent prescriptions to be highlighted to the receiving pharmacy when sent from a […]
Controlled Drugs: Learning from Incidents Issue 9
Controlled Drugs: Learning from Incidents Issue 9 Issue 9 of the bulletin: Controlled Drugs: Learning from Incidents, produced by NECS […]
Morphine Injections Supply Problems
Currently, there are national supply issues with Morphine Injections, predominately 10mg/ml amps but other strengths may be in short supply.
Practices should continue prescribing morphine injection first line in palliative care but contact community pharmacies at the point of writing the prescription to ascertain stock levels so the prescription can be written for the available strength of amp and correct dose. Do not use morphine if the 10mg, 15mg, 20mg and 30mg ampoules are not available.
Prescribe short duration prescriptions of morphine (no more than 5/7 days) in order to ensure we can maintain supplies to all patients in need.
Please ensure that all prescriptions and administration dosages are double checked by GP practices, Community Pharmacists and Community Nursing to reduce the risk of prescribing and administrative errors and that this is clearly communicated to patients and carers.
NICE Bites: Parkinson’s Disease
NICE Bites No 99 July/August 2017 from North West Medicines Information Centre includes one topic: Parkinson’s disease in adults. It includes the following sections: Assessment and diagnosis, information and support, treatment and management, motor symptoms, non-motor symptoms, adverse effects, palliative care.
Controlled Drugs: Learning from Incidents Issue 8
Issue 8 of the bulletin: Controlled Drugs: Learning from Incidents, produced by NECS on behalf of NHS England is now available.
Issue 8 covers:
• Reporting incidents
• Post-dated CD prescriptions dispensed too early
• Patients with protected addresses
• Midazolam injection for palliative care
• What can happen when things go wrong when prescribing for chronic pain
Corticosteroids: rare risk of central serous chorioretinopathy with local as well as systemic administration
The MHRA have issued information on central serous chorioretinopathy, a retinal disorder that has been linked to the systemic use of corticosteroids. Recently, it has also been reported after local administration of corticosteroids via inhaled and intranasal, epidural, intra-articular, topical dermal, and periocular routes.
Healthcare professionals should advise patients to report any blurred vision or other visual disturbances during corticosteroid treatment and consider referral to an ophthalmologist for evaluation of possible causes if a patient presents with vision problems.
Adrenaline auto-injectors: updated advice after European review
The MHRA have issued updated advice on adrenaline auto-injectors to recommend that 2 adrenaline auto-injectors are prescribed, which patients should carry at all times.
Maloff Protect (atovaquone/proguanil hydrochloride) antimalarial tablets now available to buy from pharmacies
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reclassified the antimalarial Maloff Protect (atovaquone/proguanil hydrochloride) to make it available from a pharmacist without a prescription.
Maloff Protect will be sold at pharmacies after a discussion with the pharmacist. They will be made available to adults aged over 18, weighing more than 40kg, travelling to areas affected by malaria and where the malaria parasite is not resistant to the Maloff Protect ingredients.