Greater Glasgow and Clyde Medicines

Medicines Update

GGC Medicines Update is a series of blogs with important medicines related messages relevant to all healthcare professionals across GGC.

Please note, Medicines Update blogs are correct at the time of publication.

Medicines Update blogs remain on the website for 4 years. If you would like a copy of a blog published more than 4 years ago, please contact ggc.medicines.update@nhs.scot

Click here for a promotional poster on Medicines Update and here for an animation on the Communications subcommittee of ADTC responsible for the development of Medicines Update.

If you would like to contribute to Medicines Update, click here for further information and here for a guide to blog writing. When you email the committee to discuss writing a blog, you will be sent a checklist to complete prior to submitting the blog for review.

Hospital Medicines Added to GP Practice Prescription Record

Posted: Monday, February 16, 2026

Category - Medicines Update

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Adding “outside” medicines (those prescribed and supplied outside the practice) to patient prescriptions will result in:

  • Safer prescribing: prescription record is complete, allowing GP practice clinical decision support to flag drug interactions.
  • Increased patient safety: these medicines appear in the Emergency Care Summary (ECS).
  • Improved medicines reconciliation: due to more complete record of prescribing in ECS.
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Safe prescribing and supply of medicines in patients with a peanut or soya allergy

Posted: Friday, January 23, 2026

Category - Medicines Update

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  • Some medicines include ingredients derived from peanuts or soya. These components are refined to remove allergy-causing proteins, substantially reducing the risk of an allergic reaction. As a precaution, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) contraindicates their use in patients with peanut or soya allergies.
  • It is vital that patient records clearly document all allergies to foods and medicines.
  • Although a reaction is highly unlikely, patients with allergies to peanut and/or soya should be counselled on the importance of checking up-to-date product information for all prescribed and purchased medicines, as ingredients can be subject to change.
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Updated NHSGGC Antiplatelet Guidelines Published

Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2025

Category - Medicines Update

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  • NHSGGC Clinical Guidelines for Antiplatelet Therapy Prescribing in the Secondary Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease (version 3) and Antiplatelet Therapy in Secondary Prevention of Stroke and TIA (version 6) are live on the Right Decisions for Health and Care platform.
  • Both guidelines are aimed at prescribers working in acute and/or primary care settings and are intended to guide optimal prescribing of antiplatelet therapy in patients with established vascular disease.
  • The predominant change in management of coronary artery disease is the use of aspirin and prasugrel as the dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) regimen of choice in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
  • The salient update in the cerebrovascular guideline is use of 21 days DAPT with aspirin and clopidogrel in people with non-cardioembolic minor ischaemic stroke, or high-risk transient ischaemic attack in the past 24 hours, if the diagnosis has been confirmed by a stroke specialist and brain imaging has excluded intracranial haemorrhage.
  • The guidelines also make key recommendations around prescribing of single or DAPT in patients, with and without an indication for concurrent oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy.
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Oral Nutritional Supplements (ONS) Formulary Update November 2025 for adults and older children

Posted: Thursday, December 11, 2025

Category - Medicines Update

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  • Since the Community Pharmacy Nutrition Support Service was launched in 2022, NHSGGC has achieved a cost containment of approximately £2.4million compared to annual Scottish spend.
  • Following an extensive taste test in early 2025, it has been decided to switch a few products on the current Oral and Enteral Nutrition Formulary (Adults and Older Children) in order to improve concordance and make further cost savings.
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