News
New and updated medicines optimisation ‘Key Therapeutic Topics’
Medicines optimisation: key therapeutic topics summarise the evidence-base on topics identified to support medicines optimisation, but are not formal NICE guidance.
These topics are selected and prioritised therapeutic areas where there are potential opportunities for maintaining or improving quality and improving value from our use of medicines. Releasing resources from one area of health care whilst maintaining or improving quality of care means those resources are available for use elsewhere, for example – the prescribing of innovative medicines.
MHRA Drug Safety Update January 2017
The January 2017 MHRA Drug Safety Update contains advice for healthcare professionals on:
– Direct-acting antiviral interferon-free regimens to treat chronic hepatitis C: risk of hepatitis B reactivation
– Direct-acting antivirals to treat chronic hepatitis C: risk of interaction with vitamin K antagonists and changes in INR
– Apremilast (Otezla â–¼): risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviour
– Intravenous N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for paracetamol overdose: reminder of authorised dose regimen; possible need for continued treatment with NAC
Resources to support better understanding of kidney health and 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.
Sepsis toolkit for GPs – a reminder
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), in partnership with Health Education England and NHS England, recently launched a new sepsis toolkit to support GPs and healthcare professionals to identify and manage the condition in patients.
Fosfomycin 3g sachets – a reminder
Prescribing fosfomycin as Monuril® is currently considerably more cost-effective than prescribing it generically.
What is the most appropriate antidepressant to use in patients with epilepsy?
This updated Medicines Q&A from the Specialist Pharmacy Service evaluates the published information available on the most appropriate choice of […]
Resources to support answering medicines-related questions in primary care
NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service has published a guide suggesting resources for use in primary care to answer questions about medicines. Most of the resources are freely available online.
The document includes sections on general resources and guidelines, administration of medicines, adverse drug reactions, breast feeding, children, complementary medicines, contraception and family planning, diagnostic tests, drug interactions, drug misuse, drug stability/ pharmaceutical issues, identification of medicines, immunisation and vaccines, mental health, new medicines and horizon scanning, palliative care, patent expiry, poisoning and toxicity, pregnancy, and travel medicine.
Managing the Christmas prescription workload with eRD
The Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) function within the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) allows prescribers to authorise and issue a batch of repeatable prescriptions for up to 12 months with just one digital signature. GP practices using EPS are on average sending over half of their prescriptions electronically, but eRD makes up less than 12% of these.
NICE NG 56 Multimorbidity: clinical assessment and management
A new briefing guide has been added to the NECS MO website – NICE NG 56 Multimorbidity: clinical assessment and […]