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Showing results for tags 'Prescribing'.
Found 327 results
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Content ArticleHealthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) report on the inadvertent administration of an oral liquid medicine into a vein. This report indicated the importance of using human factors in the investigation process. The investigation reviewed the effectiveness of the current processes for the storage of medicines, equipment design, and the prescribing, preparation, checking and administration of medication. It also considered the contextual, environmental and human factors that influenced the inadvertent administration of an oral solution into a vein. The effectiveness of current processes for implementation of local safety standards for invasive procedures was also considered. A human factors expert was involved in the investigation and a dedicated report was written based on the evidence reviewed, a reconstruction of the event and a simulation of what should have happened.
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Content ArticleSafe and effective pharmacological management of acute and procedural pain in neonates, infants and early childhood requires understanding of age-related changes in both the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of analgesics. Evidence based clinical practice guidelines incorporate both pharmacological and non-pharmacological techniques that can have complementary roles in acute pain management. The knowledge, skills, and attitudes of paediatric pain physicians must be appropriate to the developmental stage and clinical state of the patient and also encompass the role of parents and/or carers.
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Content ArticleGood practice in prescribing opioid medicines for pain should reflect fundamental principles in prescribing generally. The decision to prescribe is underpinned by applying best professional practice; understanding the condition, the patient and their context and understanding the clinical use of the drug. Initiating, tapering or stopping opioid medicines should be managed in agreement with the patient and all members of their healthcare team.
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Content Article
Human medicines: highlights of 2019
Claire Cox posted an article in Medication including labelling
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has published an PDF icon overview of its key recommendations in 2019 on the authorisation and safety monitoring of medicines for human use. Innovative medicines are essential to advancing public health as they bring new opportunities to treat certain diseases. In 2019, EMA recommended 66 medicines for marketing authorisation. Of these, 30 had a new active substance which had never been authorised in the EU before. The infographic includes a selection of medicines that represent significant progress in their therapeutic areas. Once a medicine is authorised by the European Commission and prescribed to patients, EMA and the EU Member States continuously monitor its quality and benefit-risk balance and take regulatory action when needed. Measures can include a change to the product information, the suspension or withdrawal of a medicine, or a recall of a limited number of batches. An overview of some of the most notable recommendations is also included in the document. -
Content ArticleAntimicrobial resistance leads to increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs worldwide. In order to contain antimicrobial resistance, Antibiotic Stewardship Programs (ASP) have been developed to measure and improve the appropriateness of antimicrobial use. A common way to measure the appropriateness of antimicrobial use is by evaluating whether antimicrobials are prescribed according to local guidelines and if not available, to national or international guidelines.
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Content ArticleThe responsibility of anaesthetists in prescribing and administering controlled drugs has extended not only to the recovery room and intensive therapy unit, but also to acute and chronic pain services both in hospital and home care. These guidelines written by the Association of Anaesthetists recommend best practice for the safe preparation, distribution and disposal of controlled drugs to meet current clinical demands in peri-operative care.
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Content ArticleIn his blog, Steve Turner, Head of Medicines and Prescribing at Medicine Gov, talks about how to manage medicines in care homes and implement quality standards. This blog is designed to provide information for care homes and for those choosing a care home.
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Content ArticleInterventions information related to the patient’s medication and hospital stay is provided to the community pharmacists on discharge from hospital, who undertake a two-part service involving medicines reconciliation and a medicine use review. To investigate the association of this discharge medicines review (DMR) service with hospital readmission, a data linking process was undertaken across six national databases. The objective of this research, published by BMJ Open, was to evaluate the association of the DMR community pharmacy service with hospital readmissions through linking National Health Service data sets.
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Content ArticleThis website allows patients and professionals to report suspected side effects to medicines or medical device and diagnostic adverse incidents used in coronavirus treatment to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MRHA) to ensure safe and effective use. When reporting patients and healthcare professionals are encouraged to provide as much information as possible.
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Content ArticleInhalers are a key treatment for respiratory conditions, with approximately 60 million dispensed in England every year. However, inhalers are not always used in an optimal way, which can lead to poor disease control and avoidable deaths. Inhaler emissions account for approximately 3% of the NHS carbon footprint. The propellant used in metered dose inhalers is responsible for most of these emissions. Alternative options with a significantly lower carbon footprint exist, such as dry powder inhalers. The UK has a higher metered dose inhalers prescribing rate compared with other European countries. These countries have demonstrated that safe and effective care can still be delivered using other inhaler devices. Wyre Forest Health Partnership (WFHP) was formed from a merger of five GP practices and now comprises of six sites across Worcestershire with over 50 doctors, 200+ staff, and more than 73,000 patients. WFHP identified that, in line with the UK, they too had high prescribing rates for metered dose inhalers, and decided to act – to improve the health of their respiratory patients, while reducing their environmental impact. This case study shows what they did.
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Content ArticleRizwana Dudhia shares in the Pharmaceutical Journal how a project she initiated to prevent the prescribing of inappropriate medication improved the quality of life for patients with learning disabilities and autism.
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Content ArticleThe STOMP and STAMP programme of work is about making sure children and young people with a learning disability, autism or both are only prescribed the right medication, at the right time and for the right reason. This leaflet produced by Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and NHS England provides information to parents about psychotropic medicines.
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Content ArticleClinically focused presentation on Oliver's story from Steve Turner, given to the NICE Medicines & Prescribing Associates on 1 May 2019.
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Content ArticlePresentation from Steve Turner at a NICE Associates Meeting on over prescribing of medication to patients with learning disabilities and reasonable adjustments. He highlights the death of Oliver McGowan and the lessons learnt.
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Content ArticleSTOMP stands for stopping over medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both with psychotropic medicines. It is a national project involving many different organisations which are helping to stop the over use of these medicines. STOMP is about helping people to stay well and have a good quality of life. Psychotropic medicines affect how the brain works and include medicines for psychosis, depression, anxiety, sleep problems and epilepsy. Sometimes they are also given to people because their behaviour is seen as challenging. People with a learning disability, autism or both are more likely to be given these medicines than other people. These medicines are right for some people. They can help people stay safe and well. Sometimes there are other ways of helping people so they need less medicine or none at all.
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Content ArticlePublic Health England have estimated that on an average day in England, between 30,000 and 35,000 adults with a learning disability, autism or both are taking a prescribed antipsychotic, an antidepressant or both without appropriate clinical indications (psychosis or affective/anxiety disorder). A substantial proportion of people with a learning disability, autism or both who are prescribed psychotropic drugs for behavioural purposes can safely have their drugs reduced or withdrawn. This research showed that among adults known to their GP to have a learning disability, (excluding only those in hospital as inpatients) on any average day: 17.0% were taking prescribed antipsychotic drugs, 16.9% antidepressants, 7.1% drugs used in mania and hypomania, 4.2% anxiolytics and 2.7% hypnotics. STOMP stands for stopping over medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both with psychotropic medicines. It is a national project involving many different organisations which are helping to stop the over use of these medicines. STOMP is about helping people to stay well and have a good quality of life.
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Content ArticleSTOMP stands for stopping over medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both with psychotropic medicines. It is a national project involving many different organisations which are helping to stop the over use of these medicines. STOMP is about helping people to stay well and have a good quality of life.
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Content ArticleSTOMP stands for: stopping over medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both with psychotropic medicines. It is a national project involving many different organisations which are helping to stop the over use of these medicines. STOMP is about helping people to stay well and have a good quality of life. Psychotropic medicines can cause problems if people take them for too long. Or take too high a dose. Or take them for the wrong reason. This can cause side effects like: putting on weight feeling tired or ‘drugged up’ serious problems with physical health.
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Content ArticleSteve Turner's blog discusses the use of psychotropic medicines for people with learning disabilities who show symptoms of distress. Steve offers a useful guide to help those prescribing these drugs consider all of the relevant factors so they can keep patients safe.
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Content ArticlePrescribing errors in general practice are an expensive, preventable cause of safety incidents, illness, hospitalisations and even deaths. Serious errors affect one in 550 prescription items, while hazardous prescribing in general practice contributes to around 1 in 25 hospital admissions. Outcomes of a trial published in the Lancet showed a reduction in error rates of up to 50% following adoption of PINCER. PINCER is a methodology for reducing medication errors and, thereby, improving medication safety. Using clinical audit tools alongside quality improvement methodology to review groups of patients taking high risk medicines/combinations of medicines, PINCER ensures that any risks are mitigated.
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Content ArticleUniversity Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL), IBSL (UK) Limited and Santa Lucia Pharma Apps SrL (SLPA), with support from EMAHSN and Loughborough University, have deployed a unit dose closed loop medicines management solution in four wards at UHL and undertaken an 18-month evaluation of the project (OptiMed-ID) in preparation for a Trust-wide rollout.
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Content ArticleThe Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) is a 60-question exam required as part of UK medical training to progress from FY1 to FY2. This independent review into the PSA was commissioned by the Medical Schools Council (MSC) together with the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) in the summer of 2022. It suggests a strategic future direction for the PSA and addresses how the PSA has impacted prescribing assessment and practice for medical students and Foundation Year 1 (FY1) doctors. It is intended to support national decision making about the future of UK prescribing assessment in the context of the imminent introduction of the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA).
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Content ArticleMedication safety events with the potential for patient harm do occur in healthcare settings. Pharmacists are regularly tasked with utilizing their medication knowledge to optimize the medication-use process and reduce the likelihood of error. To prepare for these responsibilities in professional practice, it is important to introduce patient safety principles during educational experiences. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) have set forth accreditation standards focused on the management of medication-use processes to ensure these competencies during pharmacy didactic learning and postgraduate training. The experience described here provides perspective on educational and experiential opportunities across the continuum of pharmacy education, with a focus on a relationship between a college of pharmacy and healthcare system. Various activities, including discussions, medication event reviews, audits, and continuous quality improvement efforts, have provided the experiences to achieve standards for these pharmacy learners. These activities support a culture of safety from early training.
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Content ArticleThis Healthcare and Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) report explores the under recognised toxicity of propranolol in overdose. Propranolol is used to treat a number of medical conditions, including migraine, cardiovascular problems and the physical effects of anxiety. The case that prompted the investigation was Emma, a 24-year old woman, took an overdose of both propranolol and citalopram (an antidepressant). She called an ambulance, but her condition quickly worsened. Despite resuscitation efforts from both paramedics and medical staff in the hospital she was transferred to, Emma sadly died. There has been a steady rise in the number of propranolol prescriptions issued to NHS patients. Between 2012 and 2017 there was a 33% increase in the number of deaths reported as being linked to propranolol overdose, with 52 deaths recorded as having been linked to propranolol overdose in 2017.
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Content ArticleEvery registered medication has an information insert in its package. This patient leaflet provides information on the product, which includes clinical pharmacology, recommended dose, mode of administration, how supplied, and a large section contains warnings and contraindications, adverse reactions, and precautions. Most of the prescribers do not read the patient information leaflets and do not discuss it with the users, whereas some patients do read it thoroughly. This may create worries and uncertainties resulting in reduced compliance to treatment. With easy access of patients to information on drugs that they use, mainly through the electronic media, it is very important that the text and contents of these patient leaflets are simple to understand and readable. Although information from official health agencies is superior to net-based sources, the patient information leaflets should be improved and become more user-friendly and less frightening.
