The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has published Drug Safety Update for February 2023 (PDF).
This issue contains the latest COVID-19 vaccine and medicine information including continued Yellow Card summaries and an update to the SmPC and PIL for the AstraZeneca vaccine noting that tinnitus is an uncommon side effect.
Lastly in this issue is a summary of letters to healthcare professionals in January. These generally related to supply issues and recalls.
Action: Clinicians should be aware of this month's new guidance and implement any necessary changes to practice.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have published new or updated guidance for the month of February 2023. This month there are two Guidelines that impact upon primary care.
The Cardiovascular disease: risk assessment and reduction, including lipid modification guideline has been updated. It covers the assessment and care of adults who are at risk of or who have cardiovascular disease. This update adds a new recommendation on aspirin for primary prevention of CVD. Despite media coverage last month that the threshold for treatment may be lowered this update has made no changes to treatment thresholds.
The Barrett's oesophagus and stage 1 oesophageal adenocarcinoma: monitoring and management guideline has been published. It covers monitoring, treatment and follow-up for people aged 18 and over with Barrett’s oesophagus and stage 1 oesophageal adenocarcinoma. For symptom control it is recommended to follow the recommendations in the NICE guideline on Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and dyspepsia in adults.
Action: Clinicians should be aware of this month's new guidance and implement any necessary changes to practice.
During January 2023 Clinical Knowledge Summaries were published or updated in the following areas.
All of the topics have been reviewed and updated with minor structural and layout changes. The diagnostic criteria in the Colic -Infantile topic has been updated in line with the Rome IV criteria for functional gastrointestinal disorders in infants and toddlers. The Dry eye disease has been renamed in line with current terminology and the definition of dry eye disease has been updated in line with the international literature. The Lacerations topic has seen rewrite to the assessment and management sections, and the recommendations on antibiotic choices for infected wounds now redirect to the Cellulitis topic. The Polycythaemia/erythrocytosis topic has been updated to reflect the clinical definition of erythrocytosis in line with British Society for Haematology guidance.
Action: Clinicians who see patients with any of these conditions may find the new and updated information useful when reviewing current clinical practice.
