Memos and Alerts
Shared decision making: NICE web resources
A new webpage from NICE details the benefits of shared decision making, and links to current support documents to assist with helping patients make decisions about their care, e.g. patient decision aids (PDAs) and brief decision aids.
Patient decision aids available include:
– Atrial fibrillation: medicines to help reduce your risk of a stroke – what are the options?
– Taking a statin to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
– Type 2 diabetes in adults: controlling your blood glucose by taking a second medicine – what are your options?
Who is eligible for the 2016 to 2017 shingles vaccine?
Public Health England have produced a quick and easy-to-read reference poster guide for patients showing the ages and dates of […]
Updated PGDs: Influenza (seasonal flu) vaccines and Shingles (Herpes Zoster) vaccine
The Patient Group Directions (PGDs) for Influenza (seasonal flu) vaccines and Shingles (Herpes Zoster) vaccine have been updated and are available to download from the PGD page of the NECS Medicines website (in the resources menu).
MHRA Drug Safety Update September 2016
– Levonorgestrel-containing emergency hormonal contraception: advice on interactions with hepatic enzyme inducers and contraceptive efficacy
– Posaconazole (Noxafil): tablets and oral suspension are not directly interchangeable
– Idelalisib (Zydelig▼): updated indications and advice on minimising the risk of infection
– Letters sent to healthcare professionals in August 2016
New sepsis toolkit designed to support GPs with sepsis identification and treatment
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), in partnership with Health Education England and NHS England, has today launched a new sepsis toolkit to support GPs and healthcare professionals to identify and manage the condition in patients.
NICE Bites – Sepsis
NICE Bites summarises key prescribing points from NICE guidance. Sections covered include: assessment and referral, people most vulnerable to sepsis, face to face assessment, treatment and management, antibiotic treatment, intravenous fluids, information and support, information at discharge, training and education.
Resources to support the care of patients with acute kidney injury
NHS Improvement have issued a stage two alert to continue to raise awareness of AKI and signpost clinicians from all care settings, including GPs and community pharmacists, to a set of resources developed by Think Kidneys https://www.thinkkidneys.nhs.uk/aki/think-kidney-publications/.
These resources support the public and staff working in acute, primary and community care to better understand kidney health and to help prevent, identify and manage AKI.
Getting the medicines right on transfer of healthcare settings
Transfer of care between healthcare providers and between teams can pose risk to patient safety, particularly where medicines are concerned. The GMC good practice guidance regarding information sharing with colleagues involved in patient care reminds prescribers:
You must contribute to the safe transfer of patients between healthcare providers and between health and social care providers. This means you must share all relevant information with colleagues involved in your patient’s care within and outside the team, including when you hand over care as you go off duty, when you delegate care or refer patients to other health or social care providers. This should include all relevant information about their current and recent use of other medicines, other conditions, allergies and previous adverse reactions to medicines.
New and updated PGDs: Adrenaline (Epinephrine) Injection for the Treatment of Anaphylaxis and Human Papillomavirus (Types 6,11,16,18) (Recominant, adsorbed) (HPV) Vaccine (Gardasil)
1 August 2016
The current Patient Group Directions for Adrenaline (Epinephrine) Injection for the Treatment of Anaphylaxis and Human Papillomavirus (Types 6,11,16,18) (Recominant, adsorbed) (HPV) Vaccine (Gardasil) have been updated.