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Prescribing Advice for GPs

An NHS Prescribing Advisers' Blog

NICE Guidance - January 2021

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have published new or updated guidance for the month of January 2021. This month is one evidence summary that impacts upon primary care.

The Antimicrobial prescribing: delafloxacin for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections evidence summary has been published. The likely place in therapy for delafloxacin is as an option for adults needing hospital treatment for severe acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI), primarily cellulitis or erysipelas, abscesses and wound infections, when standard oral and intravenous treatments are not suitable. Intravenous treatment may be switched to oral treatment after 3 days if possible. It would be expected that any necessary completion of treatment is provided on discharge.

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

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SMC Update - January 2021

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

Melatonin prolonged-release (Slenyto®) has been rejected following a resubmission for use in the treatment of insomnia in children and adolescents aged 2 to 18 years with autism spectrum disorder and / or Smith-Magenis syndrome, where sleep hygiene measures have been insufficient. 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.

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Drug Safety Update - January 2021

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has published Drug Safety Update for January 2021 (PDF).

This month readers are advised of a review of the risks of major congenital malformations and of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes for antiepileptic drugs conducted by the Commission on Human Medicines. It has confirmed that lamotrigine and levetiracetam are the safer of the medicines reviewed during pregnancy. It is recommended that clinicians use this information when discussing treatment options with women with epilepsy at routine recommended annual reviews and with women who are planning to become pregnant.

Readers are also signposted to the information available about the COVID-19 vaccines authorised for use in the UK, including advice for people with allergies and for women during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

This issue also highlights data from observational studies suggesting that the use of SSRI/SNRI antidepressants during the month before delivery may result in a small increased risk of postpartum haemorrhage. Prescribers should consider this risk in the context of an individual patient's bleeding and thrombotic risk assessment during the peripartum period and the benefits of antidepressants for the patient's mental health during this time.

Finally this month, aminoglycosides have been linked with an increased risk of deafness in patients with mitochondrial mutations with some reports of this happening at serum levels within the recommended ranges. Micochondrial mutations are rare but genetic testing may need to be considered especially in patients requiring recurrent or long-term treatment with aminoglycosides. Urgent treatment should not be delayed while awaiting genetic testing results.

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

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

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