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Prescribing Advice for GPs

An NHS Prescribing Advisers' Blog

NICE Guidance - October 2020

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have published new or updated guidance for the month of October 2020. This month there are three guidelines that impact upon primary care.

The COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing symptoms (including at the end of life) in the community guideline has been updated. It aims to provide recommendations for managing COVID‑19 symptoms for patients in the community, including at the end of life. It also includes recommendations about managing medicines for these patients, and protecting staff from infection. The updated has amended recommendations on taking into account a patient’s existing medicines with reference to the MHRA advice on warfarin and other anticoagulants.

The Rheumatoid arthritis in adults: management guideline has been updated. It covers diagnosing and managing rheumatoid arthritis. It aims to improve quality of life by ensuring that people with rheumatoid arthritis have the right treatment to slow the progression of their condition and control their symptoms. This update amended the 'treat to target' recommendations to clarify that multiple disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs can be offered one after the other to achieve treatment targets.

The Behaviour change: digital and mobile health interventions guideline has been published. It covers interventions that use a digital or mobile platform to help people eat more healthily, become more active, stop smoking, reduce their alcohol intake or practise safer sex. The interventions include those delivered by text message, apps, wearable devices or the internet. The guideline only includes those that are delivered by the technology itself and not by healthcare professionals using technology to deliver interventions.

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

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Drug Safety Update - October 2020

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

This month readers are advised of new guidance that has been published on monitoring of patients on warfarin and other anticoagulants during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular it is noted that acute illness may exaggerate the effect of warfarin and necessitate a dose reduction. Patients taking anticoagulants should be encouraged to report if they have symptoms of, or confirmed, COVID-19 infection to allow more careful monitoring of INR and bleed risk.

This issue also highlights that it is Medicines Safety Week from the 2nd until the 8th November 2020. The week long event will promote social media activity (#MedSafetyWeek) and discussion with colleagues and patients to highlight the importance of reporting suspected adverse drug reactions. Clinicians are encouraged to remain vigilant for suspected adverse drug reactions and report them.

The summary of letters to healthcare professionals were generally regarding product recalls or supply disruptions.

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

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SMC Update - October 2020

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

Budesonide orodispersible (Jorveza®) has been accepted for restricted use in the treatment of eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) in adults (older than 18 years of age). The restriction limits use to patients unsuccessfully treated with proton pump inhibitors.

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

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CKS Updates - September 2020

During September 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.

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

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NICE Guidance - September 2020

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have published new or updated guidance for the month of September 2020. This month there are three guidelines, one technology appraisal and one antimicrobial guideline that impact upon primary care.

The Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: assessment and management guideline has been updated. It covers assessing and managing low back pain and sciatica in people aged 16 and over. This updated adds several recommendations on the pharmacological management of sciatica including not using gabapentinoids, other antiepileptics, oral corticosteroids or benzodiazepines and not using opioids in chronic sciatica. Reference is made to a guideline in development on medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms: safe prescribing and withdrawal management which is due for publication next year.

The Neuropathic pain in adults: pharmacological management in non-specialist settings guideline has been updated. It covers managing neuropathic pain with pharmacological treatments in adults in non-specialist settings. The evidence on treating sciatica has been reviewed and new recommendations on pharmacological treatment have been added in line with the guideline above.

The Suspected cancer: recognition and referral guideline has been updated. It covers identifying children, young people and adults with symptoms that could be caused by cancer. The update clarifies when to offer faecal testing for colorectal cancer to adults without rectal bleeding.

The Insect bites and stings: antimicrobial prescribing antimicrobial prescribing guideline has been published. It sets out an antimicrobial prescribing strategy for insect and spider bites and stings in adults, young people and children aged 72 hours and over, including those that occurred while travelling outside the UK. It aims to limit antibiotic use and reduce antibiotic resistance.

The Naldemedine for treating opioid-induced constipation technology appraisal has been published. It recommends naldemedine, within its marketing authorisation, as an option for treating opioid-induced constipation in adults who have had laxative treatment.

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

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