August 2020 NPSA Alert: Steroid Emergency Cards Full alert here along with actions for primary and acute care, and community pharmacy. To summarise:

• Prescribers are asked when initiating a new steroid prescription, or undertaking standard/scheduled reviews of patients prescribed corticosteroids, to assess and issue the patient with a Steroid Emergency Card if appropriate. Practices should add ‘Steroid treatment card issued’ SNOMED code to patient’s record to help with audit.
• Further information on adrenal crisis is available from Society of Endocrinology. Cards can be ordered from the PCSE and Xerox portals, or a PDF copy is available here.
• Community and hospital pharmacies should ensure they can source and supply cards to replace those lost by patients or which become damaged.

09 Sept 2020 - BSWCCG Meds Op Team Updated Statement on Priadel HERE

August 2020 - DHSC have released a Supply Disruption Alert noting Priadel® (lithium carbonate) 200mg and 400mg MR tablets are being discontinued in the UK and remaining supplies of both strengths are expected to be exhausted by April 2021. Specialists at AWP are working alongside mental health colleagues nationally to look at the switching process for existing patients and will provide information and updates in due course.

August 2020 - BSW Ranitidine Supply Disruption Guidance

Aug 2020 - UPDATED SCA: LMWH For the treatment of cancer associated thrombosis RUH PATIENTS ONLY

Aug 2020 - NEW SCA: DOACS for the OFF-LABEL treatment of cancer associated thrombosis RUH PATIENTS ONLY

June 2020 - NHS BSW CCG COVID-19: Advice for new and existing patients with osteoporosis being treated with zoledronic acid or denosumab

21 May 2020 - Updated MHRA guidance to support Valproate Pregnancy Prevention Programme during coronavirus pandemic here

May 2020 - Class 2 Medicines Recall: Emerade 500 micrograms solution for injection in pre-filled syringe. 
Please note this is a different alert to that issued on 04 March 2020 for Emerade 150 microgram auto-injectors and on 07 April 2020 for Emerade 300 microgram auto-injectors

11 May 2020 - BSW Beclometasone PMDIs Shortages Information

Updated 11 May 2020 - BSW advice on B12 replacement during Covid-19 pandemic. 

6 May 2020 - MHRA Guidance - Valproate Pregnancy Prevention Programme: temporary advice for management during coronavirus (COVID-19)

06 May 2020 - The MHRA has launched a dedicated Yellow Card reporting site for healthcare products that are used in Coronavirus treatment to enable early identification of trends. 

04 May 2020 - BSWCCG (for people of 16 years of age and above): Managing adrenal insufficiency in patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19:

April 2020 - Class 2 Medicines Recall: Emerade 300 micrograms solution for injection in pre-filled syringe

25th March 2020 - MHRA statement on chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 - Until we have clear, definitive evidence that these treatments are safe and effective for the treatment of COVID-19, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine should only be used for this purpose within a clinical trial. 

27 Mar 2020 - Safe switching of warfarin to DOACs for patients with NVAF and VTE (DVT / PE) during the coronavirus pandemic 

Mar 2020 - Ulipristal (Esmya) removed from formulary: suspension of license due to risk of serious liver injury 

Mar 2020 - MHRA DSU Tofacitinib (Xeljanz▼): new measures to minimise risk of VTE and of serious and fatal infections

Mar 2020 - MHRA DSU Baricitinib (Olumiant▼): risk of venous thromboembolism

Feb 2020 - Diamorphine hydrochloride injection 5mg and 10mg ampoules - Supply Disruption Alert

Feb 2020 - Epanutin (phenytoin) 30mg/5ml Oral Suspension - Supply Disruption Alert

Feb 2020 MHRA DSU - Ingenol mebutate gel (Picato▼): suspension of licence due to risk of skin malignancy

Feb 2020 MHRA DSU - Lemtrada▼ (alemtuzumab): updated restrictions and strengthened monitoring requirements following review of serious cardiovascular and immune-mediated reactions

Feb 2020 MHRA DSU - Valproate (Epilim▼, Depakote▼) pregnancy prevention programme: updated educational materials 

Feb 2020 MHRA DSU - Nexplanon (etonogestrel) contraceptive implants: new insertion site to reduce rare risk of neurovascular injury and implant migration

Jan 2020 -  Note - Discontinuation of 3 Insuman presentations (recombinant human insulin). 

Jan 2020 - Ingenol mebutate (Picato®) gel has been removed from the formulary and the BSW Actinic keratoses pathway  as a precautionary measure following the MHRA Class 2 recall

Jan 2020 - MHRA Drug Safety Update Ondansetron - Small increased risk of oral clefts following use in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy

January 2020 - Phenytoin Sodium NRIM 100mg capsules – Supply Disruption Alert

January 2020 - Convulex (Valproic acid) 150mg, 300mg and 500mg capsules - Supply Disruption Alert

Dec 2019 - Ranitidine - Supply Disruption Alert – SECOND UPDATE - all oral formulations (open PDF in link) 
This additional document produced by SFT may be helpful for paediatric queries PPIs IN PAEDIATRICS

December 2019 - BSW cannabis-based medicinal products - interim position statement in response to publication of NICE guideline that covers prescribing of cannabis-based medicinal products for people with intractable nausea and vomiting, chronic pain, spasticity and severe treatment-resistant epilepsy.  

December 2019 - Prescribers may now prescribe and pharmacists may now supply antiviral medicines for the prophylaxis and treatment of influenza at NHS expense. See here

November 2019: Slo-phyllin (Theophylline) 60mg/125mg/500mg capsules out of stock by end November 2019. See here for MHRA advice on management of patients currently using this medicine.

November 2019 - Shortage of procyclidine (Kemadrin) 5mg/ml injection

November 2019 - Discontinuation of glibenclamide 2.5 and 5.0 mg Tablets

October 2019 - Shortage of salofalk (mesalazine) suppositories (500mg and 1g)

October 2019 - Drug Safety Update - Prescribing medicines in renal impairment: using the appropriate estimate of renal function to avoid the risk of adverse drug reactions

October 2019 - Adrenaline auto-injectors: Summary of recent action taken to support safety

October 2019 - Shortage of phenelzine (Nardil) tablets

Updated Sep 25th 2019 - Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Supply Issues

September 2019 - Updated (2019) PHE guidance on use of antiviral agents for the treatment and prophylaxis of seasonal influenza

September 2019 -  DHSC advice - How healthcare providers can prepare for brexit