Pain Management

Overview

This report looks at prescribing trends in primary care in relation to Pain Management at ICB and Sub Integrated Board location (SICBl) with particular focus on Opioid and Non-opioid analgesics, Neuropathic pain, Antimigraine drugs and Osteoarthritis.

If you have any queries about the content of the report please contact us at nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net

Frequency

Bi-annually

Data Period

April 2023 to March 2026

Shared care protocol – lisdexamfetamine in children and adults

This shared care protocol is based on the version published nationally by NHS England. The clinical content has been reviewed against current national guidance, and updated accordingly on the date indicated in the document.

These templates are provided to the North West and North East and Yorkshire ICBs for localisation and approval through standard ICB processes. Prescribers should refer to their local medicines committee website and formulary pages e.g. GMMMG, NTAG to ensure they are using the version adopted by their ICB.

Update information

Every effort is made to keep the content up to date. See the document control page of the template for details of any changes. These changes will be cascaded to the NEY and NW medicines committees secretariat.

Current version: v2.1

Last updated: 21st July 2026

Antidepressants – MO opportunities

Overview

At the end of July 2023 NHSE published guidance titled “National medicines optimisation opportunities 2023/24”. This guidance describes the 16 national medicines optimisation opportunities for the NHS in 2023/24, and signposts to resources to help with their implementation. It recommends Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) choose at least five medicines optimisation opportunities to focus and deliver on alongside their local medicines optimisation priorities. Progress against chosen opportunities will be reviewed using available data.

This report focuses on addressing inappropriate antidepressant prescribing and has data at SICBL, ICB and Commissioning Region level.

NHS England Aim: Reduce inappropriate long-term prescribing and associated spend on antidepressants.

The report is provided to NHS colleagues only, please do not share outside the NHS.

If you have problems accessing this file due to a security warning, please see this advice on opening the file. For further assistance, please email us at nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net.

This publication is part of our Strategic Support and Planning contract. To gain access please email us at nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net.   

Frequency

Quarterly

Data period

April 2023 to March 2026

Drugs for Dementia

Overview

This report looks at prescribing trends in primary care for Drugs for Dementia at SICBL and ICB level with particular focus on low strength antipsychotics. Prescribing data is weighted with QOF registers.

If you have any queries about the content of the report please contact us at nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net

Frequency

Quarterly

Data Period

April 2023 to March 2026

Sodium Valproate – MO opportunities

Overview

At the end of July 2023 NHSE published guidance titled “National medicines optimisation opportunities 2023/24”. This guidance describes the 16 national medicines optimisation opportunities for the NHS in 2023/24, and signposts to resources to help with their implementation. It recommends Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) choose at least five medicines optimisation opportunities to focus and deliver on alongside their local medicines optimisation priorities. Progress against chosen opportunities will be reviewed using available data.

This report focuses on improving valproate safety and has data at SICBL, ICB and Commissioning Region level.

NHS England Aim:

  • Prescribing valproate only in line with the guidance issued by MHRA and CHM.
  • Reduction in babies born with birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders.

The report is provided to NHS colleagues only, please do not share outside the NHS.

If you have problems accessing this file due to a security warning, please see this advice on opening the file. For further assistance, please email us at nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net.

This publication is part of our Strategic Support and Planning contract. To gain access please email us at nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net.   

Frequency

Quarterly

Data period

April 2023 to March 2026

Opioids – MO opportunities

Overview

At the end of July 2023 NHSE published guidance titled “National medicines optimisation opportunities 2023/24”. This guidance describes the 16 national medicines optimisation opportunities for the NHS in 2023/24, and signposts to resources to help with their implementation. It recommends Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) choose at least five medicines optimisation opportunities to focus and deliver on alongside their local medicines optimisation priorities. Progress against chosen opportunities will be reviewed using available data.

This report focuses on reducing opioid use in chronic non-cancer pain and has data at SICBL, ICB and Commissioning Region level.

NHS England Aim: Reduce the number of patients prescribed an opioid for use in chronic non-cancer pain and reduce the number of patients receiving an oral morphine equivalent of ≥120mg/day.

The report is provided to NHS colleagues only, please do not share outside the NHS.

If you have problems accessing this file due to a security warning, please see this advice on opening the file. For further assistance, please email us at nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net.

This publication is part of our Strategic Support and Planning contract. To gain access please email us at nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net.   

Frequency

Quarterly

Data period

April 2023 to March 2026

Formulary assessment – levodopa inhalation powder (Inbrija)

Formulary assessment tools are templates to support local decision making. They list NICE guidance, MHRA safety advice, and other relevant high quality advice and guidelines relevant to making decisions for local formularies.

The templates are pre-populated with useful information to reduce duplication of effort, with space for the addition of local information as appropriate. The purpose of the document is to support consistent decision making by formulary groups and APCs.

The information in this document is correct at the time of publication and formulations may change. This information is produced for use by NHS healthcare professionals and RDTC stakeholders.

Budget impact of prescribing haloperidol 500 microgram tablets

The purpose of this bulletin is to highlight the inflated NHS price of haloperidol 500 microgram tablets and to demonstrate the potential savings of using alternative presentations to provide the same dose. It shows the current annual primary care spend on haloperidol 500 microgram tablets and potential annual opportunity within RDTC stakeholder ICBs.

Formulary assessment – Pregabalin prolonged-release tablets

Formulary assessment tools are templates to support local decision making. They list NICE guidance, MHRA safety advice, and other relevant high quality advice and guidelines relevant to making decisions for local formularies.

The templates are pre-populated with useful information to reduce duplication of effort, with space for the addition of local information as appropriate. The purpose of the document is to support consistent decision making by formulary groups and APCs.

This information is produced for use by NHS healthcare professionals and RDTC stakeholders.

Safer Medication Use – Propranolol in the treatment of anxiety

Overview

Safer Medication Use is a bulletin series jointly produced by the Regional Drug and Therapeutics Centre and the Yellow Card Centre Northern and Yorkshire, which aims to promote safer prescribing. It discusses specific drug related safety problems, provides guidance to ensure safe, appropriate prescribing and raises awareness of adverse drug reaction detection and reporting.

Propranolol is increasingly used for the treatment of anxiety. However, several recent critical incidents have raised concerns that there may still be a lack of awareness amongst prescribers over the risks associated with propranolol in overdose. This report aims to raise awareness of the potential toxicity of propranolol in overdose and highlight a specific group of patients who may be at an increased risk of using propranolol for self-harm.

This publication is open access