☀️     🌓

Prescribing Advice for GPs

An NHS Prescribing Advisers' Blog

NICE Guidance - December 2020

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have published new or updated guidance for the month of December 2020. This month there are eight clinical guidelines, two COVID-19 Rapid Guidelines and one technology appraisal that impact upon primary care.

The seven clinical guidelines of relevance to primary care this month have all been updated.

The Osteoarthritis: care and management guideline, Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: assessment and management guideline and the Peripheral arterial disease: diagnosis and management guideline have both been updated in line with guidance on the use of opioids for non-cancer pain in response to a Public Health England evidence review on dependence on, and withdrawal from, prescribed medicines.

The Pancreatitis guideline and the Eating disorders: recognition and treatment guideline have both been updated in line with MHRA advice highlighting the importance of rotating insulin injection sites within the same body region.

The Type 1 diabetes in adults: diagnosis and management guideline and the Type 2 diabetes in adults: management guideline have both seen minor changes to the recommendations on diabetic retinopathy to align them with the NHS diabetic eye screening programme.

The Diabetes in pregnancy: management from preconception to the postnatal period guideline has seen changed recommendations on intermittently scanned CGM (isCGM, also commonly referred to as flash) and continuous glucose monitoring during pregnancy for women with type 1 diabetes.

The COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19 guideline has been published. It covers identifying, assessing and managing the long-term effects of COVID-19, often described as 'long COVID'. It makes recommendations about care in all healthcare settings for adults, children and young people who have new or ongoing symptoms 4 weeks or more after the start of acute COVID-19. It also includes advice on organising services for long COVID.

The COVID-19 rapid guideline: vitamin D guideline has been published. It covers vitamin D use in the context of COVID‑19. It is for adults, young people and children in hospitals and community settings. Vitamin D is important for bone and muscle health. It may also have a role in the body's immune response to respiratory viruses.

The Liraglutide for managing overweight and obesity technology appraisal has been published. Liraglutide is recommended as an option for managing overweight and obesity alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity in adults but it is restricted to prescribing in secondary care by a specialist multidisciplinary tier 3 weight management service with a commercial agreement in place.

Action: Clinicians should be aware of this month's new guidance and implement any necessary changes to practice.

Share 'NICE Guidance - December 2020' by emailShare 'NICE Guidance - December 2020' on FacebookShare 'NICE Guidance - December 2020' on TwitterShare 'NICE Guidance - December 2020' on MastodonShare 'NICE Guidance - December 2020' on LinkedInShare 'NICE Guidance - December 2020' on reddit

Drug Safety Update - December 2020

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has published Drug Safety Update for December 2020 (PDF).

This month readers are advised that systemic and inhaled fluoroquinolones are associated with a small increased risk of heart valve regurgitation. Fluoroquinolones are only recommended for use in serious, life-threatening bacterial infections. It is recommended that other options are considered first in patients at risk of heart valve regurgitation.

Readers are also advised that erythromycin has been associated with events secondary to QT interval prolongation including cardiac arrest and ventricular fibrillation. Clinicians are reminded to be aware of reports of cardiotoxicity with macrolide antibiotics, in particular with erythromycin and clarithromycin. These drugs should be avoided in patients with a history of QT interval prolongation or ventricular cardiac arrhythmia and those with current electrolyte disturbances. It is also noted that erythromycin may interact with rivaroxaban and increase the risk of bleeding. This interaction should be considered when prescribing antibiotics and precautions in the product information followed if concomitant use is necessary.

The summary of letters to healthcare professionals were generally regarding product recalls. Of note, Solu-Medrone® (methylprednisolone as sodium succinate) has been reformulated to be lactose free and as such there is a risk of serious allergic reactions if formulations are confused.

Action: Clinicians should be aware of this month's new guidance and implement any necessary changes to practice.

Share 'Drug Safety Update - December 2020' by emailShare 'Drug Safety Update - December 2020' on FacebookShare 'Drug Safety Update - December 2020' on TwitterShare 'Drug Safety Update - December 2020' on MastodonShare 'Drug Safety Update - December 2020' on LinkedInShare 'Drug Safety Update - December 2020' on reddit

SMC Update - December 2020

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has issued its monthly advice on newly licensed medicines.

Mexiletine (Namuscla®) has been accepted for restricted use in the symptomatic treatment of myotonia in adult patients with non-dystrophic myotonic disorders. It is noted that this advice applies only in the context of an approved NHSScotland Patient Access Scheme (PAS) arrangement delivering the cost-effectiveness results upon which the decision was based. As such it would be expected that prescribing would occur in secondary care.

Bempedoic acid (Nilemdo®) has been rejected for use in adults with primary hypercholesterolaemia (heterozygous familial and non-familial) or mixed dyslipidaemia, as an adjunct to diet:

  • In combination with a statin, or a statin with other lipid-lowering therapies in patients unable to reach LDL-C goals with the maximum tolerated dose of a statin
  • Alone or in combination with other lipid-lowering therapies in patients who are statin-intolerant, or for whom a statin is contra-indicated.

The submitting company did not present a sufficiently robust clinical or economic analysis to gain acceptance by SMC.

Action: Clinicians should be aware of the recommendations of the SMC. Routine use of rejected and restricted medicines should be avoided.

Share 'SMC Update - December 2020' by emailShare 'SMC Update - December 2020' on FacebookShare 'SMC Update - December 2020' on TwitterShare 'SMC Update - December 2020' on MastodonShare 'SMC Update - December 2020' on LinkedInShare 'SMC Update - December 2020' on reddit

CKS Updates - November 2020

During November 2020 Clinical Knowledge Summaries were updated in the following areas.

All of the topics have been reviewed and updated in keeping with current NICE guidance with minor layout changes. The Menopause topic now includes a lower age range of 35 to include the diagnosis and management of suspected premature ovarian insufficiency. Additional options for non-hormonal therapy for the management of vasomotor symptoms are included and further information for women with hypothyroidism has been added to the section on managing co-morbidities.

Action: Clinicians who see patients with any of these conditions may find the new and updated information useful when reviewing current clinical practice.

Share 'CKS Updates - November 2020' by emailShare 'CKS Updates - November 2020' on FacebookShare 'CKS Updates - November 2020' on TwitterShare 'CKS Updates - November 2020' on MastodonShare 'CKS Updates - November 2020' on LinkedInShare 'CKS Updates - November 2020' on reddit

NICE Guidance - November 2020

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have published new or updated guidance for the month of November 2020. This month is one guideline and one medtech innovation briefing that impact upon primary care.

The Human and animal bites: antimicrobial prescribing guideline has been published. It sets out an antimicrobial prescribing strategy for human and animal bites (excluding insect bites) in adults, young people and children aged 72 hours and over. It aims to optimise antibiotic use and reduce antibiotic resistance.

The Dexcom G6 for real-time continuous glucose monitoring medtech innovation briefing has been published. This briefing notes that the intended place in therapy is as an alternative to routine blood glucose monitoring in people (over 2 years old), including pregnant women, with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, who use multiple daily insulin injections or use insulin pumps and are self-managing their diabetes. The available evidence notes that this device reduces interstitial fluid glucose levels and the time spent in hypoglycaemia compared with self-monitoring of blood glucose using finger-prick testing. It is noted that lifetime costs for this device are likely to be higher compared to finger-prick testing but this may be balanced by avoiding the costs associated with short-term and long-term clinical outcomes of poorly managed diabetes.

Action: Clinicians should be aware of this month's new guidance and implement any necessary changes to practice.

Share 'NICE Guidance - November 2020' by emailShare 'NICE Guidance - November 2020' on FacebookShare 'NICE Guidance - November 2020' on TwitterShare 'NICE Guidance - November 2020' on MastodonShare 'NICE Guidance - November 2020' on LinkedInShare 'NICE Guidance - November 2020' on reddit

« Older Posts

Prescribing Advice for GPs is powered by ClassicPress.
Connect to our RSS or Atom Feeds.