Kent & Medway Medicines Optimisation team produce a monthly newsletter highlighting prescribing information together with local and national health information.
You can view or download copies of our newsletters
| Issue |
Date |
Article |
| Issue 53 Click Here |
Dec 23 |
• Licensing of anastrozole for primary prevention of breast cancer
• Valproate: organisations to prepare for new regulatory measures for oversight of prescribing to new patients and existing female patients
• New Dementia Guidelines in Kent and Medway
• Kent and Medway List of New Approved Guidelines
• NIHR Evidence Webinar 30th January 2024: How can we reduce antibiotic use in primary care?
• Potential for inappropriate dosing of insulin when switching insulin degludec (Tresiba) products
• Potential contamination of some carbomer-containing lubricating eye products with Burkholderia cenocepacia - measures to reduce patient risk
• MHRA Drug Safety Update
• NICE News December 2023
• Medicine Supply Notification: Bumetanide 1mg and 5mg tablets
• ADHD medicines supply disruption update
• Shortages Summary |
| Issue 52 Click Here |
Nov 23 |
• Kent & Medway Medicines Sustainability Re-Hale Project
• Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs) – A Change to Improve Patient Safety
• Emollients and fire safety
• New Melatonin Guidelines in Kent and Medway
• Gastro-intestinal Anti-spasmodic Prescribing
• New Position Statement: Safe Prescribing of Injectable Medicines in Primary Care
• Addition of Actimorph orodispersible morphine to formularies and new Morphine Sulfate Liquid Guidance
• Addition of Methenamine Hippurate to the Kent and Medway Formulary
• Nitrofurantoin MHRA Drug Safety Update – New Supporting guidance for patients and prescribers
• Wegovy and risks of inadvertent prescribing and dispensing of injectable semaglutide
• Kent and Medway guidance on Emollient Prescribing
• MHRA Drug Safety Update
• Shortages Summary |
| Issue 51 Click Here |
Oct 23 |
• Update October 2023: Paediatric Asthma and Nebulisers
• Best Practice Guidance (BPG) for Care Homes
• Substance Misuse - Naloxone
• The Role of Inclisiran in Lipid Management
• Recommendations on the national supply disruption to ADHD medication
• Valproate containing products – October 2023 Drug Tariff update
• Pharmacists Epilepsy Education Group (PEEG)
• Antimicrobial Prescribing and Stewardship (APS) Competency Framework
• Serious Shortage Protocols for Clarithromycin
• MHRA Drug Safety Update – September 2023
• Shortages Summary
• NICE News – October 2023
|
| Issue 50 Click Here |
Sep 23 |
• Hypomagnesaemia in Adults – New Primary Care Guidance
• New Oral Nutritional Supplement (ONS) Guidelines in Kent and Medway
• Kent and Medway Asthma Guidance
• Triptorelin Formulary Addition
• New guidelines and formulary changes for insulin pen needles, meters, test strips and lancets
• High strength insulin
• National Patient Safety Alert – Shortage of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
• MHRA Drug Safety Update
• Shortages
• ADHD Medication Shortages
• The 16th Royal Marsden Opioid, Cannabinoid & Gabapentinoid Conference
• Using Skin Barriers with Sensors of Glucose Monitoring Systems
|
| Issue 49 Click Here |
Aug 23 |
• Reducing the cost of OTC Prescriptions and freeing up Practice and Pharmacy time
• Vitamin B12 Prescribing in Kent and Medway
• Care Homes Best Practice Guidance
• Asthma training/engagement sessions
• Webinar on Lipids Management
• National Patient Safety Alert (NatPSA) – Potent Synthetic Opioids implicated in Heroin overdoses and deaths
• Adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) MHRA guidance
• MHRA Drug Safety Update August 2023
• Medicine Recalls
• Shortages Summary
• NICE News August 2023
|
| Issue 48 Click Here |
Jul 2023 |
• Kent and Medway position statement on Inclisiran (Leqvio®)
• Gluten Free Prescribing in Kent and Medway
• EOL medication
• Missed Savings Opportunity
• NEWT guidelines subscription renewal
• GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Shortage
• Medicine Recalls
• MHRA Drug Safety Update June 2023
• Shortages Summary
|
| Issue 47 Click Here |
Jun 2023 |
• Inclisiran (Leqvio®) update on QOF and funding
• Links to Formulary Websites and Document Sharing Platforms
• Prescribing in Pain Symposium
• Opioids – Safer Prescribing and Preferred Cost-effective Brands. Information for General Practice
• Free training for community pharmacists and practice base pharmacists
• Medicine Supply Notification – Shortage of Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®) 300mg and 600mg tablets
• Medicine Supply Notification – Shortage of Glucagon 1mg powder for injection kit (GlucaGen®) (Novo Nordisk Ltd)
• Medicine Supply Notification – Shortage of Tresiba® (insulin degludec) FlexTouch 100units/ml solution for injection 3ml pre-filled pens (Novo Nordisk Ltd)
• MHRA Drug Safety Update May 2023
• Shortages Summary
• NICE News
|
| Issue 46 Click Here |
May 2023 |
• New Back-up (delayed) Antibiotic Prescribing Guidance
• New C.difficile Prescribing Guidance
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Prescribing Guidelines
• Sharing Learning from a Serious Incident
• Potential Under-recognised Risk of Harm from the Use of Propranolol in Certain Patient Cohorts
• MHRA Drug Safety Updates
• AQUACEL Ag+ Upgrade
• Shortage information
|
| Issue 45 Click Here |
Apr 2023 |
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Prepayment Certificate (PPC)
• Chronic Pain Resources
• Non-Medical Prescribing and Controlled Drugs
• Reminder on Oral Hygiene Prescribing
• Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey
• Genomics Webinar: Aminoglycosides Pharmacogenetic Testing
• West Kent PCN Pharmacy Support Network Learning Session
• Medicines Optimisation MHRA Drug Safety Update – March 2023
• NICE News April 2023
• Shortages Summary April 2023
• MHRA - Class 4 Medicines Defect Information: Sandoz Limited, Co-amoxiclav 125/31.25mg/5ml, 250/62.5mg/5ml powder for oral suspension, EL (23)A/14
|
| Issue 44 Click Here |
Mar 2023 |
• Launch of the Kent and Medway ICB Medicines Optimisation Webpage
• Dexcom ONE transmitters on EMIS formulary
• Group A Strep (GAS) guidance update and impact on MOS sore throat audit.
• Inhaler Spacer Device Prescribing
• Salbutamol Prescribing
• MDI to DPI Switch
• MHRA Metolazone Drug Safety Update
• Clinical Fellow Scheme Application Information
• NICE CG181 Update
• KMPT Video Guides for Patients on Medicines Information
• Medicines Optimisation MHRA Drug Safety Update – Jan and Feb 2023
• MHRA Class 4 Defect Information- Venlafaxine 150mg,225mg and 300mg
• Shortages Summary March 2023
|
| Issue 43 Click Here |
Feb 2023 |
• Best Practice Guidance for Care homes
• Ozempic prescribing
• Urgent Field Safety Notice: FreeStyle LibreLink App for Android and FreeStyle Libre 3 App for Android (all versions)
• Celebrating Advanced Practice Conference 17th March 2023
• Shortages
• Medicines Supply Notification: Senokot® syrup and Senokot® 12 Years Plus syrup (both containing 7.5mg/5ml sennosides)
• NICE news February 2023
|
| Issue 42 Click Here |
Jan 2023 |
• Safety considerations with Metolazone preparations
• Over the counter medicines resources
• IT Support Ardens / EMIS
• MHRA Drug Safety Update
• Class 4 Medicines Defect Information: Galderma (U.K.) Limited, Epiduo 0.1% / 2.5% gel (45 g)
• Class 4 Medicines Defect Information: Albireo AB, Bylvay 1200 micrograms Hard Capsules, EL (23)A/01
• Class 2 MHRA Recall – Dioctyl 100mg capsules
• Shortages
• Medicines Supply Notifications
• Serious Shortage Protocols
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