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 64 Click Here |
Nov 2024 |
•Kent and Medway ICB Pain Services Community of Practice Webinar
•Rivaroxaban – generic available – All DOACs MUST be prescribed generically
•Independence Wound Protection and Collection Pouches (VAP range) – Non formulary items
•Reminder – Kent and Medway ICB Forceval® capsules Position Statement
•Opioids- Safer Prescribing and Preferred Cost-effective Brands. Information for General Practice
•MHRA Drug Safety Update – October 2024
•Shortages Summary
•Discontinuation NovoRapid® (insulin aspart) FlexTouch® 100units/ml solution for injection 3ml pre-filled pens
•Reminder for East Kent Practices – Oral Morphine Prescribing Resources |
| Issue 63 Click Here |
Oct 24 |
• Topiramate- Implementing MHRA Safety Measures in Kent & Medway
• Antimicrobial Prescribing Guidance
• Reporting a Controlled Drug Issue
• Home Use of Nebulised asthma rescue therapy in children
• Salbutamol SPC update
• The adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) service
• REMINDER: Prescribe Apixaban generically
• ScriptSwitch® Prescribing - GP Prescriber Knowledge Centre
• Chlordiazepoxide possible genotoxicity risk and KMPT Alcohol Detox policy update
• Update on the Supply of Semaglutide Injections (Ozempic®) & Prescribing of Tirzepatide Injections (Mounjaro®)
• Ardens Resources for SGLT2i
• Hydroxycarbamide with Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems
• New RPS and RCGP Repeat Prescribing Toolkit will improve safety and efficiency
• MHRA Drug Safety Update
• Shortages Summary
• NICE News Bimonthly – Oct 2024 |
| Issue 62 Click Here |
Sep 24 |
• 2024-2045 Medicines Optimisation Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (Previous MOS Scheme)
• Learning from Near Misses during Anticoagulant switching
• GP Practice Support For Patients Under Early Release Scheme
• Valproate Use in Men: Contraception Use
• PrescQipp Prescribing Mastery Webinars
• MHRA Drug safety Update
• Shortages Summary |
| Issue 61 Click Here |
Aug 24 |
- Ongoing GLP-1 RA Supply Issues – Quantities and Incidents
• FreeStyle Libre 3
• Clozapine Fact Sheet for Primary Care Clinicians
• An Update on Metolazone (Xaqua®) Prescribing in Kent and Medway ICB
• OpenPrescribing Webinar for Primary Care Teams
• Polypharmacy: Medicines and the Risk of Falls in Older People Lunchtime Masterclass
• MHRA Drug Safety Update – July 2024
• NICE News – August 2024
• Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) support for medicines shortages - PERT
• Shortages Summary
|
| Issue 60 Click Here |
Jul 24 |
• Clozapine prescribing
• Assessment of a pharmacist’s ability to interpret, review, and action CYP2C19 pharmacogenetic
reports and obtain pharmacist’s views on the reporting structure – Deadline 26th July 2024.
• Best Practice Guidance (BPG) for Care Homes
• National Patient Safety – Improvement Programmes
• TARGET Antibiotics – Prescribing in Primary Care
• Webinar: Paediatric antimicrobial prescribing in primary care
• Kent and Medway List of New Approved Guidelines
• MHRA Drug Safety Update
• Shortages summary
|
| Issue 59 Click Here |
Jun 24 |
• Eprex to Retacrit switch - Message from East Kent Hospitals UFT for GP Practices
• Reminder – Ongoing GLP-1 RA Supply Issues
• GLP-1 RAs for Weight Management / The risks of inadvertent prescribing and dispensing of injectable semaglutide (Wegovy®& Ozempic®)
• EasyChamber® spacer devices
• MORPh webinar: SMRs & Medicines Optimisation and Sustainability in Respiratory Care
• Pharmacy First
• Reminder for East Kent Practices – Hospital Only Formulary status for Trimetazidine and Sucralfate
• National Patient Safety alert: Shortage of Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT)
• MHRA Drug Safety Update – May 2024
• NICE News – June 2024
• Shortages Summary
|
| Issue 58 Click Here |
May 24 |
• Adding “Hospital/specialist” medications to a patient’s medication screen on EMIS
• Reminder – MHRA Drug Safety Update 19 April 2022. Pregabalin (Lyrica): findings of safety study on risks during pregnancy
• Kent and Medway List of New Approved Guidelines from Integrated Medicines Optimisation Committee (IMOC) April 2024
• Obtaining Anticoagulant alert cards and DOAC booklets
• Methadone Prescribing
• Cost-effective Prescribing of Macrogol Oral Powder Sachets
• PrescQIPP Clinical Masterclass webinars
• UTI diagnostic quick reference tool review consultation - closes 2 June
• MHRA Drug Safety Update
• Shortages Update
|
| Issue 57 Click Here |
Apr 24 |
• Glaucoma – Generic prescribing
• Eye supplements - Lutein and Antioxidants
• Reminder: Eye Lid Hygiene
• Continence and stoma appliances - Ordering process reminder
• ScriptSwitch® Quantity Limit Switches
• PITstop diabetes on-demand videos
• New SPS Resource – Managing Interactions with Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs)
• BNF Interaction Update: Tramadol – Warfarin Interaction
• MHRA Drug Safety Update March 2024
• NICE News – April 2024
• NHS England: Puberty Suppressing Hormones for Children and Adolescents with Gender Incongruence
• Shortages Summary
• ADHD medication availability and supply disruption update
• Discontinuations of Insulatard® InnoLet® and Levemir InnoLet® 3ml pre-filled disposable device
|
| Issue 56 Click Here |
Mar 24 |
• Kent and Medway Dry Eye Guidance - updated
• Reducing ONS Starter Pack Prescriptions in Primary Care
• Prescribing of DPP-4 inhibitors (gliptins) – reminder that sitagliptin is 1st line choice
• Daridorexant for treating long-term insomnia
• Impact of C. Difficile Infections and Management Update – 2nd May 2024
• LMWH Prescribing Pathways in East Kent
• Sharps Bin Provision - Swale Borough Council
• MHRA Drug Safety Update February 2024
• Shortages Summary
• Shortage of Rasagiline 1mg tablets (March 2024)
|
| Issue 55 Click Here |
Feb 24 |
• Mounjaro®▼ (tirzepatide) KwikPen® solution for injection
• Wegovy® (semaglutide) solution for injection for Weight Management
• Trurapi® (insulin aspart) 100units/ml solution for injection
• Fezolinetant (Veoza®) – not for NHS prescribing
• Prescribing of Armour Thyroid and other unlicensed desiccated thyroid extract (DTE) products
• Gluten Free Prescribing in Kent and Medway
• Reducing OTC Prescriptions in Primary Care
• East Kent HCP – KCHFT pilot: mucolytic drug holiday initiative
• MHRA Press Release – Pioneering genetic biobank to start recruiting patients on stroke prevention medicines
• MHRA Drug Safety Update – January 2024
• NICE News – February 2024
• Shortages Summary
• Shortage of Tegretol 200mg and 400mg prolonged release tablets
• ADHD medication availability and supply disruption update
• Riluzole availability
|
| Issue 54 Click Here |
Jan 24 |
• Antibiotic Course Length
• Interaction of tramadol and warfarin
• Pregabalin and risk in pregnancy / Gabapentinoid prescribing
• FreeStyle Libre 3
• Kent and Medway List of New Approved Guidelines
• MHRA Drug Safety Update
• Update to the NPSA on GLP-1 RAs
• Shortages
|
