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 Formulary Chapter 4: Central nervous system - Full Chapter
Notes:

PALLIATIVE CARE PHYSICIANS - Guidelines for the use of drugs in symptom control

 

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04.02.03  Expand sub section  Drugs used for mania and hypomania
Lamotrigine
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Formulary
Specialist advice

On specialist advice.

 
 
04.02.03  Expand sub section  Drugs to manage Antipsychotic side effects
Procyclidine
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Formulary
All settings
 
 
Hyoscine
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Formulary
All settings

For hypersalivation caused by antipsychotics in line with Green status for hypersalivation use in Parkinson's Disease

 
 
Trihexyphenidyl
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Formulary
Specialist advice
 
 
Pirenzipine (unlicensed)
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Formulary
Specialist only

Hospital use only

 
 
04.02.03  Expand sub section  Carbamazepine
Carbamazepine
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Formulary
Specialist advice

On specialist advice

 
 
04.02.03  Expand sub section  Valproic acid
Valproic AcidBlack Triangle (Depakote®)
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Formulary
Amber

 Use in men and women of non-child bearing potential

 Use in women and girls of childbearing potential (all indications).  ESCA link below

Contrindiciated in women of childbearing potential unless part of the Pregnancy Prevention Programme. See MHRA guidance

 
Link  Guidance Document on Valproate Use in Women and Girls of Childbearing Years (March 2019)
Link  Valproate form: Annual Risk Acknowledgement form (March 2019)
Link  MHRA: Valproate use in women and girls (August 2018)
Link  NICE CG38: Bipolar disorder: The management of bipolar disorder in adults, children and adolescents, in primary and secondary care
Link  Women of childbearing potential: Educational Risk Minimisation Materials
 
04.02.03  Expand sub section  Lithium to top
Lithium Carbonate
(M/R tablets)
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Formulary
Shared care agreement
  • Supported by ESCA-requires regular review in secondary care. Full discharge at 12 months
  • APC preferred brand is Priadel, however there are other brands available and you should continue to prescribe the brand that the patient is stable on
  • Below is an ESCA link for patients seen by the Black Country Mental Health Services 
 
Link  ESCA: Black Country - Lithium (GP Monitoring)
Link  ESCA: Black Country - Lithium (Hospital Monitoring)
Link  ESCA: Lithium
 
Lithium Citrate
(liquid)
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Formulary
Shared care agreement
  • Supported by an ESCA-requires regular review in secondary care. Full discharge at 12 months
  • APC preferred brand is Priadel, however there are other brands available and you should continue to prescribe the brand that the patient is stable on
  • Below is an ESCA link for patients seen by the Black Country Mental Health Services
 
Link  ESCA: Black Country - Lithium (GP Monitoring)
Link  ESCA: Black Country - Lithium (Hospital Monitoring)
Link  ESCA: Lithium
 
 ....
 Non Formulary Items
Asenapine

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Non Formulary

Hospital use only

Clonazepam

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Non Formulary
Pregabalin

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Non Formulary
Link  NHS England: (Schedule 3 Controlled Drugs) Patient Leaflet; Are you taking gabapentin or pregabalin? (Lyrica, Alzain, Neurontin)
  
Key
Restricted Drug Restricted Drug
Unlicensed Drug Unlicensed
click to search medicines.org.uk
Link to adult BNF
click to search medicines.org.uk
Link to children's BNF
click to search medicines.org.uk
Link to SPCs
Cytotoxic Drug
Cytotoxic Drug
CD
Controlled Drug
High Cost Medicine
High Cost Medicine
Cancer Drugs Fund
Cancer Drugs Fund
NHSE
NHS England
Homecare
Homecare
ICB
ICB
Green Low Carbon

Low carbon footprint

Amber Medium Carbon

Medium carbon footprint

Red High carbon footprint

High carbon footprint

Status Description

All settings

All Settings
Suitable for initiation, ongoing prescribing, and discontinuation in both primary and secondary care settings. They are generally familiar, frequently used therapies that can be started within their licensed indications without specialist oversight.  

Specialist only

Specialist only
Designated for initiation, ongoing prescribing, monitoring, exclusively by a specialists either in a hospital or as part of a specialist service (to note this could be in a non-hospital setting). Primary care should neither start nor continue these treatments except as part of a specialist service. A specialist could be either a medical or non-medical prescriber.  

Specialist advice

Specialist advice
Prescribers in primary care should seek advice and a recommendation from a specialists prior to initiating a medicine. Once agreed with a specialist, medicines can be initiated, prescribed and monitored in primary care without a formal shared-care agreement.   

Specialist initiation

Specialist initiation
Medicines in this category require a specialist to start therapy, titrate dosage, and assess initial efficacy or tolerability. Once stabilised, prescribing responsibility may transfer to primary care without the need for a formal shared-care agreement.  

Shared care agreement

Shared care agreement
Prescribing responsibility can be shared across health settings and between specialists and GPs only when formal shared care arrangement has been made. For example, there may be extensive and complex monitoring requirements or significant safety concerns (note would need a national policy on this to define the criteria for requiring a formal SCA), this will be produced once nationally.  

Do not prescribe

Do not prescribe
Not approved for routine prescribing in primary or secondary care. For example, because they are agents classified in the BNF as “not NHS” or “Drugs of Low Clinical Value”, or they are products on NICE’s “do not do” list or NHS England’s “should not routinely prescribe” list.  

Self Care

Self Care
Not for routine prescribed in primary or secondary care unless as part of care for a long term condition. Instead, patients should be encouraged to self care with support from community pharmacy.   

Green

Medicines which are suitable for initiation and maintenance prescribing by primary and secondary care clinicians. These medicines should be initiated and prescribed within their licensed indications  

Amber Initiation

Amber Specialist Initiation: Initiation and maintenance of prescribing by Specialists and transfer to Primary Care prescribing when appropriate. This may be supported by a RICaD, annotated within the formulary entry.  

Amber SC

Amber Shared Care: Initiation and maintenance of prescribing by Specialists and transfer to Primary Care prescribing, in accordance with an ESCA, annotated within the formulary entry.  

Amber Recommended

Amber Specialist Recommendation: Initiation and maintenance of prescribing in Primary Care following recommendation from a specialist.  

Red

Medicines for initiation and maintenance prescribing by Specialists (hospital or GPs with Special Interest) only  

Grey

Positive NICE TA and /or awaiting local clarification on place in therapy; Please contact your Medicines Optimisation team for more information.  

Black

Non-formulary Medicines which APC/Trust DTC has actively reviewed and do not recommend for use.  

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