News
Specialist Pharmacy Service – Medicines Use and Safety Update
The NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service now produces a regular update on medicines use and safety. The September 2017 edition highlights some […]
RCP guide to supporting junior doctors in safe prescribing
Supporting junior doctors in safe prescribing A new guide to supporting junior doctors in hospitals produced by the Royal College of […]
Are drugs for chronic vertigo counterproductive?
Chronic vertigo: treat with exercise, not drugs A recent BMJ article highlighted concerns about the potential for vestibular suppressant medications […]
Regional Medicines Information Service
Where to turn when usual sources don’t help? The NHS England commissioned specialist pharmacy service includes a network of regional […]
NHS England & NHS Improvement “Practice Primer”: Mental Health in Older People
Mental Health in Older People: A Practice Primer NHS England and NHS Improvement have collaborated with AgeUK, the RCGP, the Royal […]
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.