Formulary

Transition of Commissioning Policies

On 1st July 2022 NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) became the new statutory body responsible for ensuring health care services are available to meet the reasonable needs of the people of Cheshire & Merseyside.

Until such time as a single suite of commissioning policies can be developed and adopted, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside will continue to adopt and operate the CCG policies it has inherited at Place/borough level, which means that there will be no immediate change in commissioning policy for local people resident in those Places/boroughs from what was in place prior to 1st July 2022.

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Commissioning Policies

Coronavirus guidance

Guidance to support primary care prescribers and pharmacists is available from the MLCSU Coronavirus guidance resource page.

Web based formulary

Smartphone formulary app

Formulary app user guide

Definitions and Criteria for Categorisation of Medicines

Further information regarding the process for review and categorisation, including devices, can be found in the Policy for the Pan Mersey Area Prescribing Committee.

Categorisation of Medicines

Key to recommendations

Red Drugs which should be prescribed only by a specialist clinician.

Amber medicines are considered suitable for primary care prescribing following varied levels of specialist input.

AMBER Recommended requires specialist assessment and recommendation to GP to prescribe in Primary Care.
AMBER Initiated requires specialist initiation of prescribing. Prescribing to be continued by the specialist until stabilisation of the dose and the patient’s condition is achieved and the patient has been reviewed by the specialist.
AMBER Patient Retained requires specialist initiation of prescribing. Prescribing to be continued by specialist until stabilisation of the dose and the patient’s condition is achieved and the patient had been reviewed by the specialist. Patient remains under the care of specialist (ie not discharged) as occasional specialist input may be required.

PURPLE Medicines are considered suitable for Primary Care prescribing and/or management, following specialist initiation of therapy, with on-going communication between the Primary Care prescriber and specialist, within the framework of a Shared Care Agreement.

GREY These medicines are still being evaluated according to local processes and a decision on whether to commission their use has not yet been made. They should not be prescribed in any setting.

BLACK Medicines not recommended for use because of lack of evidence of clinical effectiveness, cost prioritisation or concerns over safety.

GREEN Medicines for which primary care prescribers would normally take full responsibility for prescribing and monitoring. Green status does not imply that a medicine is superior to existing first-line drugs or is a recommended formulary choice.

Online formulary chapters