Newsletters

Please click on a month in the table below for the corresponding newsletter.

Kent & Medway Newsletters

Issues Contents Summary
Issue 48 - July 2023
  • Kent and Medway position statement on Inclisiran (Leqvio®)
  • MHRA Drug Safety Update June 2023
  • Medicine Recalls
  • GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Shortage
  • Gluten Free Prescribing in Kent and Medway
  • NEWT guidelines subscription renewal
  • Missed Savings Opportunity
  • EOL medication
  • Shortages Summary
Issue 49 - August 2023
  • Reducing the cost of OTC Prescriptions and freeing up Practice and Pharmacy time
  • Vitamin B12 Prescribing in Kent and Medway
  • Care Homes Best Practice Guidance
  • Asthma training/engagement sessions
  • Webinar on Lipids Management
  • National Patient Safety Alert (NatPSA) – Potent Synthetic Opioids implicated in Heroin overdoses and deaths
  • Adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) MHRA guidance
  • MHRA Drug Safety Update August 2023
  • Medicine Recalls
  • Shortages Summary
  • NICE News August 2023
Issue 50 - September 2023
  • Hypomagnesaemia in Adults – New Primary Care Guidance
  • New Oral Nutritional Supplement (ONS) Guidelines in Kent and Medway
  • Kent and Medway Asthma Guidance
  • Triptorelin Formulary Addition
  • New guidelines and formulary changes for insulin pen needles, meters, test strips and lancets
  • High strength insulin
  • National Patient Safety Alert – Shortage of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
  • MHRA Drug Safety Update
  • Shortages
  • ADHD Medication Shortages
  • The 16th Royal Marsden Opioid, Cannabinoid & Gabapentinoid Conference
  • Using Skin Barriers with Sensors of Glucose Monitoring Systems
Issue 51 - October 2023
  • Update October 2023: Paediatric Asthma and Nebulisers
  • Best Practice Guidance (BPG) for Care Homes
  • Substance Misuse - Naloxone
  • The Role of Inclisiran in Lipid Management
  • Recommendations on the national supply disruption to ADHD medication
  • Valproate containing products – October 2023 Drug Tariff update
  • Pharmacists Epilepsy Education Group (PEEG)
  • Antimicrobial Prescribing and Stewardship (APS) Competency Framework
  • Serious Shortage Protocols for Clarithromycin
  • MHRA Drug Safety Update – September 2023
  • Shortages Summary
  • NICE News – October 2023
Issue 52 - November 2023
  • Kent & Medway Medicines Sustainability Re-Hale Project
  • Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs) – A Change to Improve Patient Safety
  • Emollients and fire safety
  • New Melatonin Guidelines in Kent and Medway
  • Gastro-intestinal Anti-spasmodic Prescribing
  • New Position Statement: Safe Prescribing of Injectable Medicines in Primary Care
  • Addition of Actimorph orodispersible morphine to formularies and new Morphine Sulfate Liquid Guidance
  • Addition of Methenamine Hippurate to the Kent and Medway Formulary
  • Nitrofurantoin MHRA Drug Safety Update – New Supporting guidance for patients and prescribers
  • Wegovy and risks of inadvertent prescribing and dispensing of injectable semaglutide
  • Kent and Medway guidance on Emollient Prescribing
  • MHRA Drug Safety Update
  • Shortages Summary
Issue 53 - December 2023
  • Licensing of anastrozole for primary prevention of breast cancer
  • Valproate: organisations to prepare for new regulatory measures for oversight of prescribing to new patients and existing female patients
  • New Dementia Guidelines in Kent and Medway
  • Kent and Medway List of New Approved Guidelines
  • NIHR Evidence Webinar 30th January 2024: How can we reduce antibiotic use in primary care?
  • Potential for inappropriate dosing of insulin when switching insulin degludec (Tresiba) products
  • Potential contamination of some carbomer-containing lubricating eye products with Burkholderia cenocepacia - measures to reduce patient risk
  • MHRA Drug Safety Update
  • NICE News December 2023
  • Medicine Supply Notification: Bumetanide 1mg and 5mg tablets
  • ADHD medicines supply disruption update
  • Shortages Summary
Issue 54 - January 2024
  • Antibiotic Course Length
  • Interaction of tramadol and warfarin
  • Pregabalin and risk in pregnancy / Gabapentinoid prescribing
  • FreeStyle Libre 3
  • Kent and Medway List of New Approved Guidelines
  • MHRA Drug Safety Update
  • Update to the NPSA on GLP-1 RAs
    Shortages
Issue 55 - February 2024
  • Mounjaro®▼ (tirzepatide) KwikPen® solution for injection
  • Wegovy® (semaglutide) solution for injection for Weight Management
  • Trurapi® (insulin aspart) 100units/ml solution for injection
  • Fezolinetant (Veoza®) – not for NHS prescribing
  • Prescribing of Armour Thyroid and other unlicensed desiccated thyroid extract (DTE) products
  • Gluten Free Prescribing in Kent and Medway
  • Reducing OTC Prescriptions in Primary Care
  • East Kent HCP – KCHFT pilot: mucolytic drug holiday initiative
  • MHRA Press Release – Pioneering genetic biobank to start recruiting patients on stroke prevention medicines
  • MHRA Drug Safety Update – January 2024
  • NICE News – February 2024
  • Shortages Summary
  • Shortage of Tegretol 200mg and 400mg prolonged release tablets
  • ADHD medication availability and supply disruption update
  • Riluzole availability
Issue 56 - March 2024
  • Kent and Medway Dry Eye Guidance - updated
  • Reducing ONS Starter Pack Prescriptions in Primary Care
  • Prescribing of DPP-4 inhibitors (gliptins) – reminder that sitagliptin is 1st line choice
  • Daridorexant for treating long-term insomnia
  • Impact of C. Difficile Infections and Management Update – 2nd May 2024
  • LMWH Prescribing Pathways in East Kent
  • Sharps Bin Provision - Swale Borough Council
  • MHRA Drug Safety Update February 2024
  • Shortages Summary
  • Shortage of Rasagiline 1mg tablets (March 2024)
Issue 57 - April 2024
  • Glaucoma – Generic prescribing
  • Eye supplements - Lutein and Antioxidants
  • Reminder: Eye Lid Hygiene
  • Continence and stoma appliances - Ordering process reminder
  • ScriptSwitch® Quantity Limit Switches
  • PITstop diabetes on-demand videos
  • New SPS Resource – Managing Interactions with Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs)
  • BNF Interaction Update: Tramadol – Warfarin Interaction
  • MHRA Drug Safety Update March 2024
  • NICE News – April 2024
  • NHS England: Puberty Suppressing Hormones for Children and Adolescents with Gender Incongruence
  • Shortages Summary
  • ADHD medication availability and supply disruption update
  • Discontinuations of Insulatard® InnoLet® and Levemir InnoLet® 3ml pre-filled disposable devices
Issue 58 - May 2024
  • Adding “Hospital/specialist” medications to a patient’s medication screen on EMIS
  • Reminder – MHRA Drug Safety Update 19 April 2022. Pregabalin (Lyrica): findings of safety study on risks during pregnancy
  • Kent and Medway List of New Approved Guidelines from Integrated Medicines Optimisation Committee (IMOC) April 2024
  • Obtaining Anticoagulant alert cards and DOAC booklets
  • Methadone Prescribing
  • Cost-effective Prescribing of Macrogol Oral Powder Sachets
  • PrescQIPP Clinical Masterclass webinars
  • UTI diagnostic quick reference tool review consultation - closes 2 June
  • MHRA Drug Safety Update
  • Shortages Update
Issue 59 - June 2024
  • Eprex to Retacrit switch - Message from East Kent Hospitals UFT for GP Practices
  • Reminder – Ongoing GLP-1 RA Supply Issues
  • GLP-1 RAs for Weight Management / The risks of inadvertent prescribing and dispensing of injectable semaglutide (Wegovy®& Ozempic®)
  • EasyChamber® spacer devices
  • MORPh webinar: SMRs & Medicines Optimisation and Sustainability in Respiratory Care
  • Pharmacy First
  • Reminder for East Kent Practices – Hospital Only Formulary status for Trimetazidine and Sucralfate
  • National Patient Safety alert: Shortage of Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT)
  • MHRA Drug Safety Update – May 2024
  • NICE News – June 2024
  • Shortages Summary
Issue 60 - July 2024
  • Clozapine prescribing

  • Assessment of a pharmacist’s ability to interpret, review, and action CYP2C19 pharmacogenetic reports and obtain pharmacist’s views on the reporting structure – Deadline 26th July 2024.

  • Best Practice Guidance (BPG) for Care Homes

  • National Patient Safety – Improvement Programmes

  • TARGET Antibiotics – Prescribing in Primary Care

  • Webinar: Paediatric antimicrobial prescribing in primary care

  • Kent and Medway List of New Approved Guidelines

  • MHRA Drug Safety Update

  • Shortages summary

Please note that newsletters are archived after 12 months to avoid offering out-of-date information.