Author: maxinewright

In March 2023 NICE published TA875: Technology Appraisal guidance for semaglutide (Wegovy®) for managing overweight and obesity. The guidance recommends semaglutide as an option for weight management when prescribed by a specialist service alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity in adults if they meet the criteria specified. This briefing aims to provide advice to prescribers on how the treatment can be accessed and which patient groups are eligible to receive Wegovy®. The document explains some of the limitations of the treatment and the evidence base, as described by NICE and may help to manage patient expectations.

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 Formulary Assessment tool for tacalcitol (Curatoderm) can be found here.

The purpose of this bulletin is to highlight the rapid increase in price of metformin 1g tablets over the last year, and to raise awareness of the difference in price of metformin 1g immediate release (IR) tablets compared with 500mg IR tablets. It considers the potential budget impact to primary care of prescribing metformin 1g IR tablets across the ICSs in the North East & Yorkshire region and Greater Manchester.

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 Formulary assessment tool for morphine sulfate orodispersible tablets (Actimorph) can be found here.

Strategic Insight reports are designed to support strategic objectives and planning by Integrated Care System leaders. Through the analysis of data and communication with key stakeholders across the ICS, interventions to be undertaken by the ICS are proposed to Integrated Care Boards or associated committees.

This report provides an update on key primary care prescribing trends in the North of England with respect to polypharmacy, in order to support primary care teams in identifying key groups who may benefit from a structured medicines review.

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 Formulary assessment tool for trifarotene (Aklief) can be found here.

Comparison table documents are designed to support prescribers and medicines management teams to maximise health gains through the optimum use of medicines within a specific therapeutic area.

There are currently five dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors (or gliptins) available in the UK for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. There are a number of differences between the DPP-4 inhibitors in terms of licensing, interactions, renal impairment dose adjustment, hepatic impairment dose adjustment, and cost. This comparison table allows prescribers and other healthcare professionals to easily compare the characteristics of these medicines.