Newsletters

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

Kent & Medway Newsletters

Issues Contents Summary Attachment
Issue 40 - November 2022
  • Reminder on the Prescribing of Sodium Valproate safely in Women and Girls
  • Notification of product name change: Carefine Insulin Pen Needles to Greenfine Insulin Pen Needles
  • SPS Medicines Advice Service Information
  • Medicines Optimisation MHRA Drug Safety Update – Oct 2022
  • Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) infographic
  • Product Discontinuation: FreeStyle Libre 1
  • November Shortages
  • Serious Shortage Protocols: Estraderm MX® 50mcg and 75mcg patches
  • Discontinuation of Stemetil 5mg/5ml Syrup
  • MHRA Class 4 Medicines Defect Information: Venlafaxine XL 300 mg prolonged-release tablets
 
Issue 41 - December 2022
  • HSJ Awards Success
  • OTC prescribing
  • COPD inhaler guidance reminder
  • Discontinuation of Stemetil 5mg/5ml Syrup
  • Asthma and nebulisers
  • All Ranitidine products – license suspended
  • Shortages Summary December 2022
  • MHRA Updates
  • NICE News December 2022
Supply Shortage Alert
Issue 42 - January 2023
  • Safety considerations with Metolazone preparations
  • Over the counter medicines resources
  • IT Support Ardens / EMIS
  • MHRA Drug Safety Update
  • Class 4 Medicines Defect Information: Galderma (U.K.) Limited, Epiduo 0.1% / 2.5% gel (45 g)
  • Class 4 Medicines Defect Information: Albireo AB, Bylvay 1200 micrograms Hard Capsules, EL (23)A/01 Class 2 MHRA Recall – Dioctyl 100mg capsules
  • Shortages
  • Medicines Supply Notifications
  • Serious Shortage Protocols
Supply Shortage Alert
Issue 43 - February 2023
  • Best Practice Guidance for Care homes
  • Ozempic prescribing
  • Urgent Field Safety Notice: FreeStyle LibreLink App for Android and FreeStyle Libre 3 App for Android (all versions)
  • Celebrating Advanced Practice Conference 17th March 2023
  • Shortages
  • Medicines Supply Notification: Senokot® syrup and Senokot® 12 Years Plus syrup (both containing 7.5mg/5ml sennosides)
  • NICE news February 2023
 
Issue 44 - March 2023
  • Launch of the Kent and Medway ICB Medicines Optimisation Webpage
  • Dexcom ONE transmitters on EMIS formulary
  • Group A Strep (GAS) guidance update and impact on MOS sore throat audit.
  • Inhaler Spacer Device Prescribing
  • Salbutamol Prescribing
  • MDI to DPI Switch
  • MHRA Metolazone Drug Safety Update
  • Clinical Fellow Scheme Application Information
  • NICE CG181 Update
  • KMPT Video Guides for Patients on Medicines Information
  • Medicines Optimisation MHRA Drug Safety Update – Jan and Feb 2023
  • MHRA Class 4 Defect Information- Venlafaxine 150mg,225mg and 300mg
  • Shortages Summary March 2023
Supply Shortage Alert
Issue 45 - April 2023
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Prepayment Certificate (PPC)
  • Chronic Pain Resources
  • Non-Medical Prescribing and Controlled Drugs
  • Reminder on Oral Hygiene Prescribing
  • Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey
  • Genomics Webinar: Aminoglycosides Pharmacogenetic Testing
  • West Kent PCN Pharmacy Support Network Learning Session
  • Medicines Optimisation MHRA Drug Safety Update – March 2023
  • NICE News April 2023
  • Shortages Summary April 2023
  • MHRA - Class 4 Medicines Defect Information: Sandoz Limited, Co-amoxiclav 125/31.25mg/5ml, 250/62.5mg/5ml powder for oral suspension, EL (23)A/14
Supply Shortage Alert
Issue 46 - May 2023
  • New Back-up (delayed) Antibiotic Prescribing Guidance
  • New C.difficile Prescribing Guidance
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Prescribing Guidelines
  • Sharing Learning from a Serious Incident
  • Potential Under-recognised Risk of Harm from the Use of Propranolol in Certain Patient Cohorts
  • MHRA Drug Safety Updates
  • AQUACEL Ag+ Upgrade
  • Shortage information
Supply Shortage Alert
Issue 47 - June 2023
  • Inclisiran (Leqvio®) update on QOF and funding
  • Links to Formulary Websites and Document Sharing Platforms
  • Prescribing in Pain Symposium
  • Opioids – Safer Prescribing and Preferred Cost-effective Brands. Information for General Practice
  • Free training for community pharmacists and practice base pharmacists
  • Medicine Supply Notification – Shortage of Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®) 300mg and 600mg tablets
  • Medicine Supply Notification – Shortage of Glucagon 1mg powder for injection kit (GlucaGen®) (Novo Nordisk Ltd)
  • Medicine Supply Notification – Shortage of Tresiba® (insulin degludec) FlexTouch 100units/ml solution for injection 3ml pre-filled pens (Novo Nordisk Ltd)
  • MHRA Drug Safety Update May 2023
  • Shortages Summary
  • NICE News
Supply Shortage Alert
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
Supply Shortage Alert
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
Supply Shortage Alert
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
Supply Shortage Alert
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
Supply Shortage Alert
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
Supply Shortage Alert

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