Antibiotic quality premium monitoring dashboard – September 2016

The NHS England Antibiotic Quality Premium Monitoring Dashboard is produced by the NHS Business Services Authority to support NHS England in monitoring CCG performance in the delivery of the Antibiotic Quality Premium. This dashboard is published monthly and reports on performance with the primary care antibiotic prescribing indicators that are defined in the Quality Premium Guidance document. The latest data can be found in the NHS England QP Dashboard here qp-16-17-antibiotic-dashboard-sept-16.xlsx

Summary of MHRA drug safety advice: September to November 2016

The MHRA has provided the following synopsis of key drug safety issues from the September to November 2016 issues of Drug Safety Update.

– 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
– Etoricoxib (Arcoxia): revised dose recommendation for rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis
– Brimonidine gel (Mirvaso): risk of exacerbation of rosacea symptoms

National Medicines Optimisation Dashboard

In 2014 NHS England launched its Medicines Optimisation Dashboard to help inform local discussions about how to improve patient outcomes and get better value from our medicines spend. Since then it has been evaluated and modified based on what commissioners, prescribers and other healthcare providers want to see. This dashboard has now been revised .

Medicine Matters Autumn 2016

Medicine Matters Autumn 2016 Medicines information for care staff in a social setting The Autumn 2016 newsletter covers: Covert administration of medicines Lessons learnt Planning medicine stocks over bank holidays  

NOACs contraindicated in patients with mechanical heart valves

Prescribers are reminded NOT to substitute newer oral anti-coagulant drugs (NOACs) for warfarin in patients with mechanical heart valves under any circumstance because of the risk of thromboembolic and bleeding events, regardless of the length of time since the replacement.

Controlled drugs stolen from Sunderland pharmacy

A pharmacy was broken into in Sunderland earlier this week where a large supply of controlled drugs were stolen including:

1,000 MST Continus, 900 Zomorph
560 codeine tablets
30 boxes of pregablin
500 fentanyl patches
800 methylphenidate tablets
104 OxyContin tablets, 300 Longtec tablets
4,800ml methadone solution

It is therefore advisable that all pharmacy staff remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity that could be considered preparatory acts by criminals targeting pharmacies to the police. Keep CD stock to a minimum and dispose of patient returned CD’s as soon as possible. Out of date stock CD’s should be destroyed appropriately in the presence of an authorised witness. Where there is no company authorised witness please contact the Medicines Optimisation Team who will arrange authorised witnessed destruction.

Controlled Drugs: Learning from Incidents November 2016

Issue 5 of the bulletin: Controlled Drugs: Learning from Incidents, produced by NECS on behalf of NHS England covers:

Prescribing and supply of controlled drugs
Advice to Community Pharmacies re the delivery of medicine
Advice for practices re the security of controlled drug prescriptions
NICE Guideline NG46: The safe use and management of controlled drugs

New briefing document added to website

New post on NECS MO website
NICE NG 56 – Multimorbidity: clinical assessment and management – a briefing document
The guideline itself covers optimising care for adults with multi-morbidity (multiple long-term conditions) by reducing treatment burden (poly-pharmacy and multiple appointments) and unplanned care.