Red Drugs November Update

Checklist Is this a Haematology drug e.g. Anagrelide? Has the patient had a kidney transplant? Drugs are supplied by the transplant centre. Are you prescribing Rifaximin for hepatic encephalopathy? If not, then the specialist should supply. Are you prescribing specialist skin products e.g. Retinoids or Eosin? If so, refer to specialist for supply. Have all of your patients on Etericoxib been recommended by Rheumatology? If not, please review use and switch to Naproxen or Ibuprofen.

Resources: In this section you will find the list of Red Drugs along with a GP inappropriate referral letter which can be sent to HHFT. Some of the red drugs are only red for certain conditions (otherwise amber) and guidance on this can be found here. http://www.northhampshireccg.nhs.uk/medicines-optimisation/healthcare-professionals/red-drug-list/

How to Read-Code a RED (Hospital Only) drug: EMIS Web Where drugs are supplied by the hospital (e.g. red drugs, unlicensed medicines, drugs supplied by homecare) it is important that the patient’s GP is informed by the hospital and that the use of hospital supplied drugs is recorded in the patient’s clinical record. These can be recorded under the READ code 8B2D (hospital prescription) and the medication added as a hospital drug. The drug supplied by the hospital will appear on the patient’s repeat medication list, therefore interactions/adverse effects will be flagged up on the computer system when other drugs are supplied. In addition, the GP should ‘red flag’ the drug type ‘SUPPLIED BY THE HOSPITAL: NOT TO BE ISSUED BY THE GP’ under the dose and enter the lowest possible quantity e.g. one tablet or 1ml, so all healthcare professionals and the patient are aware that this is not for primary care prescribing. How to Read-Code a RED (Hospital Only) drug: EMIS Web 1. Open ‘Medication’ tab. 2. This will launch the drug browser where the clinician must select the drug given by secondary care 3. Complete the other required details of the hospital supplied drug on the ‘ Medication’ section: _ Dose: SUPPLIED BY THE HOSPITAL: NOT TO BE ISSUED BY THE GP _ Days/Quantity: Enter lowest possible quantity possible e.g. 1 tablet or 1ml 4. Select ‘Issue Drug’, then ‘Approve and complete’. 5. Select ‘Change All’ tab to highlight drug as issued by ‘Hospital (No Print)’. This enables the hospital supply drug to be placed in a different section of the medication screen. 6. If the GP practice tries to issue the hospital supply drug a warning will appear in the ‘Approve and Complete’ print box stating it was ‘Issued by hospital’. There is still the potential risk to issue this drug in error, therefore the recommendation to add the hospital supply statement under dose is essential.