Prescribing Resources

Entering a Hospital Only Drug on EMIS

Information on how to enter a hospital only drug on EMIS is available here

Lipid Management

The second Lipid Managment webinar held on13th July 2023 is available at https://youtu.be/WUmezSlWRvY

The slides and Q&A document are available on the links

Lipid Management webinar held on 26th January 2023 is available here: https://youtu.be/KKDHulUd-6I

The slides and Q&A document are also available by following the links.  

Heart Failure

The Heart Failure Webinar held on 29th June 2021 can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/kl_2CtNakNs and slides are available here.

Guidance available on ClinOx includes:

The Prescribing Incentive Scheme requires all heart failure patients to be reviewed to ensure medication is optimised, an audit template is available here to support. 

 

Antimicrobial Prescribing

The Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire (BOB) Primary Care Antimicrobial Webinar held on 17th Nov 2020 can be found by following the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8-y0EDyfOg&feature=youtu.be

The slides are also available here.

The Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire (BOB) Primary Care Antimicrobial Webinar held on 18th Nov 2021 can be found by following the below link: 

 BOB-wide Antimicrobial Webinar - YouTube

SCAN guidelines are now available on the digital platform MicroGuide – this can be accessed as an app on a phone or tablet device or via a web viewer on a desktop computer or laptop. 

On your desktop:

​The guidelines can be accessed directly through the url:  https://viewer.microguide.global/SCAN/SCAN

This url will remain the same (even when individual guidelines are updated) therefore consider adding this to your favourites.

On your phone/tablet:

The MicroGuide app is available to download free from the App store (Apple) or Google Play (Android). Search for MicroGuide in App Store/Google Play and download (as per icon below).

Once the user agreement has been reviewed you will be asked to create a profile.

Many other CCGs and hospital Trusts use this platform for antimicrobial guidance so the appropriate guidance ‘South Central Antimicrobial Network’ will need to be selected from the list of guidelines available. Do not select the acute Trust that you are usually associated with as those will be the acute Trust guidelines. Complete other boxes as appropriate. Then click Submit.

Click inside the circle next to the South Central Antimicrobial Network’ and finally on top left click ‘get selected guide’(for both Apple and Android users).

 

HALO

Please use the HALO ordering system to source practice dressing supplies wherever possible. The majority of formulary dressings are available from HALO. However, on occasions, practices may be asked to prescribe outside of the formulary but it is anticipated that this should be limited and only on the recommendation of the Tissue Viability Team who will communicate this request to the practice concerned. The local wound care formulary is available here.

 

Anticoagulant Prescribing 

The anticoagulation team will be providing several webinars throughout the year to support clinicians with prescribing, the recordings can be found below. The team can be contacted on doacsupport.ox@nhs.net and are happy to answer questions on individual patients or provide general support to practices.

20th July 2021 - DOAC Webinar: https://youtu.be/Bkwv1yy39gY and slides.

2nd November 2021 - Atrial Fibrilliation and Anticoagulation Webinar: https://youtu.be/0IBVd5p_3rQ and slides.

26th April 2022 - Treatment of VTE Webinar: https://youtu.be/0dm9jpDkeyA and slides

6th Sept 2022 - Edoxaban Webinar https://youtu.be/te0CRdsze2c and slides. 

 

Oral Nutritional Supplements (ONS)

Commissioning Policy Statement 277 clarifies our position on oral nutritional supplements. Resources are available below to support clinicians with reviewing their patients e.g. patient information leaflets, a template letter and a Prescribing Points newsletter with suggestions as to how to implement the policy etc. Our dietitian can also help review our sip feed patients and will provide an email advice service via bobicb-ox.dietitian@nhs.net. Other resources can be found in the folder below.

 

Gluten Free Products

Gluten Free products such as bread, flour and bread mixes should only be prescribed as per the commissioning policy on Gluten Free Foods, quantities should be no more than 8 units per month regardless of age or gender. Biscuits, pasta, cake mix, crackers, etc. are low priority for funding and should no longer be prescribed. There is now a patient information leaflet available detailing this information - Coeliac Disease and Gluten Free Prescribing.

 

Probiotics (e.g. VSL#3)

Probiotics are no longer on the OCCG formulary due to a lack of evidence to support their use. Patients wishing to use these products should be advised to purchase them OTC. 

 

Thickeners

The prescribing of thickeners for adults is suitable for continuation in primary care following recommendation from a specialist or Speech and Language Therapist only. The current first line thickener for adults is Resource Thicken Up Clear which is a gum based thickener. Older style starch based thickeners have largely been replaced by gum based thickeners which are more stable after mixing and more palatable.

The initiator will indicate which IDDSI level of thickness and which thickener to prescribe. The descriptors for levels of thickening of fluids have changed in line with International descriptors. Scoop sizes and product labelling have changed to support these changes.

The only suitable thickener for children under 3 years is Instant Carobel which can be prescribed for the treatment of vomiting and Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux (GOR) in infants. 

The Medicines Optimisation team dietitian is available to assist practices with reviewing their infant formula patients and also provides an email advice service via occg.dietitian@nhs.net 

 

DPP4 Inhibitors

The Medicines Optimisation Team has produced a protocol on switching DPP4i to Alogliptin(the first line and most cost effective DPP4i) and a patient letter. There is an optional audit template available here which can be adapted to suite the practice.

 

Over the Counter (OTC) Products

Commissioning Policy Statement 88c clarifies the OCCG commissioning policy on prescribing OTC products. There are a number of resources that you can use to promote the Over the Counter Medicines Campaign. The ‘How to manage your conditions’ slides for practice waiting room screen display offer a very effective method of communication to your patients. A poster on 'How to manage your conditions' and a printable leaflet on 'Treating minor conditions' have been developed for practices to use. A number of importable EMIS searches can be found in the resource link below. The ‘No prescription required’form is allows the patient to highlight to the pharmacy that they do not require a prescription to treat their symptoms and that they can be treated with OTC medication.

The Medicines Optimisation Team have produced an article with information on the availability of OTC medication for hay fever to support practices which can be found here.