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Flu – Antiviral Agent Guidance
Public Health England have updated “Guidance on use of antiviral agents for the treatment and prophylaxis of seasonal influenza” in preparation for the winter ‘flu season.
Social Care – Managing medicines
The Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society have launched ‘Top tips for managing medicines for adults receiving social care in the community’. The guide, for GPs and pharmacists, draws on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline and quality standard on managing medicines in the community. Areas covered include shared decision-making, the inclusion of care at home providers, needs assessment and recording. The resource is part of Involved and informed: good community medicines support, a collaboration between NICE and partner organisations.
Medication Non-Adherence in Older Adults – Link to Hospital Admissions & Mortality
A recently published Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of observational studies measuring medication non-adherence as a predictor of a range of adverse health outcomes in adults aged 50 years and over concluded that: “Medication non‐adherence may be significantly associated with all‐cause hospitalisation and mortality in older people.“
HRT Shortages – British Menopause Society Update
The British Menopause Society have published a helpful update on current availability of HRT products in the UK – including the following notes: There have been availability issues with many HRT products. Some of these are related to manufacturing shortages, while others are related to supply issues. The BMS has been reassured that these are temporary shortages which pharmaceutical companies and their suppliers are trying to resolve. In the meantime, prescribers can consider equivalent preparations that provide a similar dose to what their patient is using. If an exact match is not possible, prescribers can seek guidance available on the […]
Medicine Matters – Spring 2019 (CD update edition)
Medicine Matters – Spring 2019 (CD update edition) This issue includes – Gabapentin/ Pregabalin: Controlled Drug changes
Medicine Matters – Spring 2019
Medicine Matters – Spring 2019 This issue includes: Improving diagnosis and management of UTIs in older people in Care Homes Controlled Drug Legislation changes April 2019 Lessons Learnt: Insulin Administration
UK and international immunisation schedules – PHE comparison tool
Public Health England have published a tool with details of immunisation schedules and vaccines used in the 20 countries from which people most commonly immigrate to the UK – including information in local languages about diseases vaccinated against and vaccines used. This tool is intended to help staff in general practice to: ascertain what vaccines individuals moving to England from abroad have received record those vaccines in their IT system
Valproate Use in Women & Girls with Childbearing Potential – Pragmatic Guide
Experts from 13 national bodies, including seven Royal Colleges, have joined forces to publish practical guidance to support doctors and other health professionals providing care for women and girls in their reproductive years who may be prescribed valproate. The ‘pan-College’ advice is based on 2018 regulations issued by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) around the prescribing and dispensing of valproate – but looks at the more challenging issues that clinicians across primary and specialist care might encounter in daily practice. These include transition from paediatric to adulthood services, competence to consent to treatment, and confidentiality.