Antidepressant drugs
Overview
This report looks at prescribing trends in primary care for Antidepressant drugs at CCG and STP level with particular focus on first choice antidepressant prescribing and exploration of associations between prescribing and improving access to psychological therapies.
If you have any queries about the content of the report please contact us at nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net
Frequency
Annually
Data Period
April 2019 to March 2022
This report has been discontinued. If you would like an updated version of the report please contact us at nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net
Formulary assessment – melatonin (Adaflex) for ADHD
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.
Formulary assessment – levomepromazine 6mg 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.
Solriamfetol for obstructive sleep apnoea
Overview
Evaluation reports aim to give objective information and guidance on medicines and medical devices to commissioners of health services, prescribers and others. They include efficacy, adverse effects, place in treatment and arrangements for prescribing.
Solriamfetol is indicated to improve wakefulness and reduce excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in adult patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) whose EDS has not been satisfactorily treated by primary OSA therapy, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). This publication reviews its efficacy and safety, and the limitations of the evidence.
Solriamfetol is also licensed to improve wakefulness and reduce EDS in adults with narcolepsy with or without cataplexy (see separate RDTC evaluation).
Solriamfetol for narcolepsy
Overview
Evaluation reports aim to give objective information and guidance on medicines and medical devices to commissioners of health services, prescribers and others. They include efficacy, adverse effects, place in treatment and arrangements for prescribing.
Solriamfetol is indicated to improve wakefulness and reduce excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in adult patients with narcolepsy with or without cataplexy. This publication reviews its efficacy and safety, and the limitations of the evidence.
Solriamfetol is also licensed to improve wakefulness and reduce EDS in adults with obstructive sleep apnoea (see separate RDTC evaluation).
Safer Medication Use – Opioids and gabapentinoids
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.
The use of combination opioids and gabapentinoids is associated with an increased risk of adverse events. Gabapentinoid overdose is much more likely to be fatal when combined with opioids and there is a greater risk of gabapentinoid dependence in patients with a history of opioid use disorder.
There are limited circumstances when patients should be prescribed both an opioid and a gabapentinoid, and prescribers must carefully balance potential benefits against the risk of adverse effects from combination therapy. In such situations the opioid dose should be reduced before starting a gabapentinoid and the patient reviewed regularly. Treatment should be stopped if it is not effective or not tolerated but withdrawal of established opioids and / or gabapentinoid therapy should be done slowly to prevent discontinuation symptoms.
Postoperative patients who are prescribed long term gabapentinoids should be closely monitored for respiratory depression.
Levodopa inhalation powder for episodic motor fluctuations in Parkinson’s disease
Overview
New Drug Evaluations are concise, structured reviews of new drugs recently launched within the NHS. These documents seek to provide a brief overview of the efficacy, safety and cost of new drugs.
Inbrija®▼ (Acorda Therapeutics), a levodopa powder for oral inhalation, is licensed for the intermittent treatment of episodic motor fluctuations (OFF episodes) in adult patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) treated with a levodopa/dopa-decarboxylase inhibitor.
This review is older than 18 months; in view of the continued emergence of new evidence, readers are recommended to re-check the biomedical literature.
Download the full review below to read more.
NICE has accredited the process used by the Regional Drug and Therapeutics Centre to produce New Drug Evaluations. Accreditation is valid until the 31st of December 2023.
For more information visit www.nice.org/accreditation