Greater Glasgow and Clyde Medicines

Access to the correct medications at the right time can be a problem for patients with PD when they are admitted to hospital.

Ensure medicines reconciliation is undertaken within 24 hours of admission – include the following: drug name, formulation, strength, dose and frequency. Exact dose timing of PD medications should be clearly annotated on HEPMA.

Drug-Induced QTc Prolongation - Interpretation of the QT Interval in Adults here

• Prolongation of the QT interval can lead to a life threatening arrhythmia known as Torsades de Pointes (TdP)
• QT interval needs to be adjusted for heart rate, generating the widely used QTc (the corrected QT interval)
• There are several calculations available to correct the QT interval, with Bazett being the most widely used formula and the one used by many ECG machines to calculate the automated QTc. Bazett is however associated with significant limitations, which should be taken into account when interpreting the QTc reported on ECG printouts
• When reviewing a patients’ ECG, it is important not to look at the QTc interval in isolation to ensure that other conditions such as bradycardia, tachycardia, myocardial infarction or cardiomyopathy are not responsible for any changes in QTc

Guideline News August 2023 here

New NHSGGC Guideline - Tetracycline and Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Interactions here

New NHSGGC guideline to help raise awareness and management of the interaction between oral tetracycline and fluoroquinolone antibiotics with multivalent cation-containing products (e.g. iron and calcium)

Key Medicine Shortages September 2023 here

Includes: Disulfiram, Jext (adrenaline), Phenytoin sodium, Pilocarpine hydrochloride, Minims® Povidone Iodine, Reboxetine (Edronax®), Tacrolimus (Adoport®), Tacrolimus (Dailiport®), Rifampicin 150mg/Isoniazid 75mg/Pyrazinamide 400mg/Ethambutol 275mg (Voractiv®), products used in the treatment of scabies: Permethrin 5% dermal cream (Lyclear®) and Malathion 0.5% liquid

MHRA Drug Safety Update August 2023 here

This post summarises the latest NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde decisions relating to new medicines assessed by SMC and considered by the Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee (ADTC) and uses a nationally developed format specifically aimed for patients and the public.

For full details of the medicines included in this post that are available for use, including any restrictions on prescribing, please see the relevant entry in the GGC Formulary

Medicines linked to falls here

Certain drug classes and combinations of medicines confer greater risk for frail patients than the general adult population. Any medicine which can cause sedation, hypotension or hypoglycaemia can increase risk of falls. 

Guideline News July 2023 here

Off-label or unlicensed use of medicines here.

The MHRA and the NHS Circular PCA(P)(2015)17 recommend that ‘specials’ and imported unlicensed medicines should only be used where there is no suitable licensed alternative. Clinicians should not routinely use an unlicensed preparation when there is a licensed product available, unless there is a specific clinical reason.