Valproate further prescribing resources

30th April 2019

The following resources are available to support the prescribing of valproate in females of child-bearing potential. For more information on the risks of valproate in pregnancy, see our previous news item in April 2018.

Pan college guidance

This has been produced by experts from 13 national healthcare bodies, including Royal Colleges and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society for use in the authorised indications of epilepsy and bipolar disorders. It advises on the more challenging issues that health professionals in primary and specialist care might encounter in daily practice, e.g. transition from paediatric to adult services, competence to consent to treatment, and confidentiality.

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NICE

NICE has produced a summary of their guidance and safety advice for valproate, including for off-label indications.

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Paediatric guidance

The British Paediatric Neurology Association (BPNA) and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) have developed joint guidance about the use of valproate in female patients <18 years.

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Valproate updated annual risk acknowledgement form

30th April 2019

The Annual Risk Acknowledgement Form, used as part of the Pregnancy Prevention Programme (PPP), for prescribing valproate to females of child-bearing potential has been updated following feedback from health professionals and stakeholders. This form should be used for all future reviews of female patients on valproate.

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Better treatments for breathlessness in palliative care and end of life

24th April 2019

The recently launched, EU funded BETTER-B project are seeking the views of physicians in respiratory and palliative medicine on the management of chronic breathlessness for patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease (ILD) and lung cancer. We encourage our members to complete the survey, which takes approximatley 10−15 minutes. The survey will close at the end of July 2019.

Click here, to learn more and complete the survey.

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Levomepromazine 25mg/mL injection shortage

17th April 2019

There is a shortage of levomepromazine 25mg/mL injection in the UK, with both the manufacturer (Sanofi) and the only other UK supplier (Wockhardt) out of stock. Further stock is not anticipated until the end of April 2019.

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NICE lung cancer guidance updated

11th April 2019

Updated NICE guidance, Lung cancer: diagnosis and management (NG122), has been published. It covers non-small-cell and small-cell lung cancer.

The only changes to the palliative care section involve signposting to other relevant NICE guidance for bone metastases and skeletal-related events.

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CME T34 syringe pumps now require foam pads to be added to the battery compartment

3rd April 2019

All Caesarea Medical Electronics (CME) T34 Ambulatory syringe pumps now need a foam pad to be added to the battery compartment to ensure the battery rests securely against the contacts. Kits should be ordered from CME to do this.

This information is in the latest CME field safety notice (FSN2018-001_Updated) and follows the previous alerts in March and September 2018, highlighting the possible loss of function due to inadequate battery connection.

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Gabapentin and pregabalin are now controlled drugs

1st April 2019

Gabapentin and pregabalin were reclassified as Schedule 3 controlled drugs, on 1 April 2019, under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (see our previous news item), with exemption from safe custody.

Full controlled drug prescription writing and requisition requirements for Schedule 3 controlled drugs are required for supply. However, gabapentin and pregabalin do not need to be stored in a separate locked controlled drug cabinet. Information and answers to frequently asked questions are available on the Royal Pharmaceutical Society support alert.

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