Mounjaro and contraception and pregnancy - 6.6.25

Please click on the link below for further information about the recent press release.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/women-on-skinny-jabs-must-use-effective-contraception-mhra-urges-in-latest-guidancehttps://www.gov.uk/government/news/women-on-skinny-jabs-must-use-effective-contraception-mhra-urges-in-latest-guidance

Medicines - 1.4.25

Medicines are the most common health intervention in the world today and the NHS spends a growing share of its budget on buying them.

It is vital to the sustainability of the health service that medicines are managed responsibly and equitably.

We aim to optimise the use of medicines by promoting cost-effective and evidence-based clinical practice and effective risk management to make sure patients get the right medicine at the right time.

We make sure patients get the most from their medicines – take them correctly, avoid taking unnecessary medicines, improve safety, and reduce wastage.

Over-the-counter medicine - 3.6.25

In 2022/23, NHS Kent and Medway spent more than £18million on medications for self-limiting, short-term illnesses and minor conditions that could potentially be bought over the counter (OTC).

This practice together with NHS Kent and Medway is committed to delivering the best value to patients by ensuring we use our resources well. Therefore, to help support implementation and ensure cost effective, evidence-based use of medicines, NHS Kent and Medway and this practice does not support the prescribing of items available OTC for self-care.

This is in line with the the guidance from NHS England for conditions which over-the-counter items should not be routinely prescribed by this practice.

Advice on medication to delay menstrual cycle period - 1.5.25

This practice does not prescribe Norethisterone or any other medication to delay periods for women and girls for travel, sport or any other special events.

If you would like to postpone your period you can visit your local pharmacy or search online for a pharmacy website.

 Policy on Sedative prescriptions for procedures and scans- 3.6.25

We are unable to prescribe sedatives, such as Diazepam for any procedure or scan being undertaken outside of the practice. This includes MRI scans and dental procedures.

If you feel you need sedation for a procedure or scan then please speak to the team undertaking the procedure or scan as they are responsible for providing this if needed. All of our local NHS hospitals have formal procedures in place for sedation during procedures so you should not be directed to your GP for this.

Why we do not prescribe sedatives for external procedures 

• Lack of regular involvement and training. GP's are not regularly involved, skilled, trained or appraised in sedation skills. Providing too little sedation won't help you and providing too much sedation can make you too sleepy, which could lead to the procedure being cancelled. Excessive sedation can also dangerously affect your breathing. After taking a sedative for a procedure or scan, you will need to be closely monitored to keep you safe.

• Unpredictable effects of Diazepam.  Although Diazepam makes most people sleepy, in some rare situations, it can have the opposite effect and make people aggressive or agitated.

• Timing of sedation. Scans and hospital procedures are often delayed. Therefore, the team performing the procedure or scan should provide the sedation to ensure you become sleepy and relaxed at the right time.

• Need for regular monitoring. Sedated patients should be regularly monitored. There has been a case where a GP prescribed a sedative, the patient wasn't monitored and subsequently had a respiratory arrest in an MRI machine.

• Guidelines from the Royal College of Radiologists. The Royal College of Radiologists' guidelines on sedation for imaging make no mention of GP involvement or prescribing and stress the importance of experienced, well-trained staff being involved and the need for monitoring of sedated patients.