Safety
Medicines Safety Assurance Tool
The Medicines Safety Assurance Tool (MSAT) is provided as a PDF document for reference. To request the spreadsheet solution of this safety tool, or for more information about this tool, to make a comment, or share a safety issue please contact mlcsu.medicines-safety@nhs.net.
The MSAT was developed to improve the management of medicines related risk to patients. It is intended to provide commissioners with a systematic way of identifying and analysing emerging medicines safety issues and engage with providers to reduce medicines related harm.
Coronavirus guidance
Guidance to support primary care prescribers and pharmacists is available from the MLCSU Coronavirus guidance resource page. Links are provided to national resources and regional documents produced by MLCSU, RDTC, and SPS for use by Pan Mersey APC, LSCMMG, and GMMMG.
The list of resources will be updated as new material becomes available so please check back regularly for updates.
The Pan Mersey APC supports the use of COVID-specific guidance issued by NICE, and NHS England and NHS Improvement. During the COVID pandemic this will supersede any APC advice.
Documents
Advice for healthcare professionals:
- Ensure the patient or carer, or both, are trained and understand optimal use of their adrenaline auto injector device.
- Advise the patient or carer, or both, to carry two adrenaline auto injectors at all times.
Service users prescribed clozapine will have it prescribed, monitored, and dispensed via their local mental health trust. Where a service user is under the care of a third party, e.g., during an acute medical admission, this may lead to a break down in care. This guidance is aimed at highlighting these risks and providing solutions for the non specialist.
Codeine is contraindicated in all children aged 0-18 years who undergo tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy (or both) for obstructive sleep apnoea. Codeine is restricted to children over 12 years of age and only if the benefit outweighs the risks.
Domperidone is restricted to short term use in the relief of nausea and vomiting. The maximum recommended dose is 30 milligrams daily for one week. Contraindications include cardiac disorders, hepatic impairment, and concomitant QT prolonging or CYP3A4 inhibiting drugs.
Overdose of methotrexate can lead to serious adverse effects such as haematopoietic disorders (leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, anaemia, and pancytopenia) and gastrointestinal reactions (mucositis, stomatitis, oral ulceration, gastrointestinal ulceration, and gastrointestinal bleeding). Some reports of overdose have been fatal. In these fatal cases, events such as sepsis or septic shock, renal failure, and aplastic anaemia were reported.
The Pan Mersey Area Prescribing Committee recommends that ALL clinicians have a responsibility in ensuring that Drugs Prescribed Elsewhere are updated in the patients’ electronic medical records in order to ensure the accuracy of the Summary Care Record.