Prescribing Update Newsletter – September 2023

Prescribing support newsletters aim to inform readers of work done by the unit and work in progress, to help tailor local work plans and highlight any ‘topical’ issues in prescribing or medicines management.

If you have any suggestions for future topics for the newsletter, then please contact nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net

This month’s edition focuses on our Medicine Value bulletins, the environmental impact of inhaler disposal, and the recent National Patient Safety Alert on the shortage of ADHD medications. It also includes another in the series of “Meet the Team” where you can get to know the people behind the work we do. There is also information on serious shortage protocols, some key medicines availability issues, UK product launches, and the RDTC attendance at the forthcoming Clinical Pharmacy Congress (CPC) in November.

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July 2023 Newsletter

Prescribing support newsletters aim to inform readers of work done by the unit and work in progress, to help tailor local work plans and highlight any ‘topical’ issues in prescribing or medicines management.

If you have any suggestions for future topics for the newsletter, then please contact nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net

This month’s edition focuses on the budget impact of methylphenidate modified release tablet choice, the effect of price concessions on prescribing budgets, and changes to the shingles vaccination programme. It also includes another in the series of “Meet the Team” where you can get to know the people behind the work we do. There is also information on serious shortage protocols, some key medicines availability, new and updated NICE guidance, and UK product launches.

View the preview below on desktop, or click here to download a copy.

April 2023 Newsletter

Prescribing support newsletters aim to inform readers of work done by the unit and work in progress, to help tailor local work plans and highlight any ‘topical’ issues in prescribing or medicines management.

If you have any suggestions for future topics for the newsletter, then please contact nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net

This month’s edition focuses on semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity, Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Gene Testing Workshops, a new NHSE short course on working with people and communities, recent publications from the RDTC, and an update on the RDTC prescribing support team attendance at the GNPRC Conference in July 2023. It also includes another in the series of “Meet the Team” where you can get to know the people behind the work we do. There is also information on some key medicines availability, new and updated NICE guidance, and UK product launches.

February 2023 Newsletter

Prescribing support newsletters aim to inform readers of work done by the unit and work in progress, to help tailor local work plans and highlight any ‘topical’ issues in prescribing or medicines management.

If you have any suggestions for future topics for the newsletter, then please contact nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net

This month’s edition focuses on RDTC resources to help you make the most of your budget, updates to the cost comparison charts, the voluntary recall of certain FreeStyle Libre 2 sensors, and an E-learning programme on internet safety, suicide, and self-harm. It highlights recent publications from the RDTC including a series of publications as part of the Polypharmacy and Overprescribing theme reviewing opioid prescribing, and a Prescribing Bulletin looking at the budget impact of Metformin immediate release 1g tablets. It also includes another in the series of “Meet the Team” where you can get to know the people behind the work we do. There is also information on some key medicines availability issues and serious shortage protocols

Prescribing for Population Health – Polypharmacy and Overprescribing: Opioids

In recent years, there has been increasing concern regarding the overprescribing of opioids and associated harms. The RDTC has produced a series of publications as part of the Polypharmacy and Overprescribing theme reviewing opioid prescribing:

Each publication includes considerations and interventions for medicines optimisation teams and health systems. To avoid duplication across this series of overprescribing and polypharmacy opioid publications, the suggested actions have only been listed in the most relevant theme but may apply across all. We recommend reading all parts of the series sequentially to ensure the breadth of potential actions are known. The publications can be accessed using the links below:

PPH 3. Polypharmacy & Overprescribing: Opioid patient populations:

This publication aims to support greater understanding of the patient populations prescribed opioids and the inter-relationships and dependencies between prescribing and the available metrics.

PPH 4. Polypharmacy & Overprescribing: Opioid patient demographics:

This publication aims to support greater understanding of the demographics of the patient populations prescribed opioids.

PPH 5. Opioid population health management:

This publication aims to support greater understanding of the population health management of patients prescribed opioids, specifically in terms of deprivation level and the impact on sustainability and climate change.

October 2022 Newsletter

Prescribing support newsletters aim to inform readers of work done by the unit and work in progress, to help tailor local work plans and highlight any ‘topical’ issues in prescribing or medicines management.

If you have any suggestions for future topics for the newsletter, then please contact nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net

This month’s edition covers the RDTC’s Climate Emergency declaration, Pill Swallowing – a skill for life, Metolazone preparations and safety considerations, and the second in the series of “Meet the Team” where you can get to know the people behind the work we do. We also cover the Price concessions and the Discount Deduction scheme, World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, and a guide to the COVID-19 autumn booster. There is also information on the changes to the Medicines Information Service, and some key medicines availability issues.

August 2022 Newsletter

Prescribing support newsletters aim to inform readers of work done by the unit and work in progress, to help tailor local work plans and highlight any ‘topical’ issues in prescribing or medicines management.

If you have any suggestions for future topics for the newsletter, then please contact nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net

This month’s edition introduces Strategic Insights, our new publication type, and has the first in a series of “Meet the Team”, where you can get to know the people behind the work we do. We also cover the new national shared care protocols published by NHSE, changes to the childhood vaccination schedule, and outline some resources that are available to support DOAC switches. There is also information on the changes to the Medicines Information Service, and some key medicines availability issues.

March Newsletter

Prescribing support newsletters aim to inform readers of work done by the unit and work in progress, to help tailor local work plans and highlight any ‘topical’ issues in prescribing or medicines management.

If you have any suggestions for future topics for the newsletter, then please contact nuth.nyrdtc.rxsupp@nhs.net

This month’s edition covers RDTC publications produced in the last financial year, specials added to new Part VIIID section of the Drug Tariff, a spotlight on Hidradenitis suppurativa, the potential contamination of infant formula food products, unintentional paracetamol overdose in adult inpatients with low bodyweight, updates to the routine immunisation schedule, and resources relating to Ramadan.

New publication type: formulary assessment tools

Our new series of monthly formulary amendments have been well received, so we’ve added another set of support documents: formulary assessment tools. These are templates to support local decision making, bringing together 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 first publications in the series cover levomepromazine 6mg tablets and indapamide 1.5mg modified release tablets. This information is produced for use by NHS healthcare professionals and RDTC stakeholders.

Find all of our formulary tools at their own formulary support tools landing page.

Annual Horizon Scanning Report – 2022-2023

Each year the RDTC considers the information published in the SPS Prescribing Outlook series, and from this information highlights developments that are likely to have significant impact on primary care prescribing budgets, over the coming 12 – 15 months.

The RDTC takes the SPS Cost Calculator and aids in filters to calculate totals for each of its stakeholder ICS and CCGs.

A Key Considerations Document accompanies the Cost Calculator  detailing the key messages, summarising the current prescribing budget position, and suggesting proposed uplifts to prescribing budgets for the next financial year.

This is supplemented throughout the year with the RDTC Monthly Horizon Scanning series, which provides a more accurate monthly account of the impact of new medicines and recommendations as they publish.

There are five regional versions of this publication. These can all be found on the Annual Horizon Scanning Report page