Greater Glasgow and Clyde Medicines

Sitagliptin is now the preferred dipeptidylpeptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitor in NHSGGC, replacing alogliptin.

This post summarises the latest NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde decisions relating to new medicines assessed by SMC and considered by the Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee (ADTC) and uses a nationally developed format specifically aimed for patients and the public.

For full details of the medicines included in this post that are available for use, including any restrictions on prescribing, please see the relevant entry in the GGC Formulary

The NHSGGC Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Non Malignant Pain Guideline has been reviewed and updated.

To access the full blog via Microsoft Sway, click here

Guideline News March 2024 here

In January 2024, the MHRA issued an alert on regulatory action taken to update the indications for all systemic fluoroquinolones to state they should only be used when other commonly recommended antibiotics are inappropriate

• Many patients may need to use sharps, such as needles, syringes and fingertip lancing devices, to treat and manage their condition.

• Sharps should never be disposed of in domestic waste, recycling, or in a container that is no longer needed, such as a drinks can or a bottle. This is potentially hazardous to anyone who comes into contact with the waste, including refuse collectors and members of the public.

• To minimise the risk of needle stick injuries, a sharps bin, (e.g. SharpSafe® or Sharpsguard®) can be prescribed, which can be returned to the patient’s GP practice for safe disposal once full. GP practices can accept sharps containers independent of their source, however, sharps containers (with exception of needle exchange) should not be returned to community pharmacies.

Adrenal Crisis is a medical emergency and failure to recognise and treat promptly can be fatal.  In 2021 Health Improvement Scotland (HIS) issued an alert to highlight a new Steroid Emergency Card which supports timely recognition and treatment of potential adrenal crisis.

Key Messages

• A number of widely used drugs are known to have the potential to prolong the QTc interval
• Prescribers are advised to be aware of the QTc prolonging potential of medicines they prescribe, particularly to high-risk patients