Background
This is a list of the minimum information resources that NHS hospital on-call pharmacists working in the East of England should be able to access. This is based on a consensus amongst East Anglia medicines information (MI) services and other research undertaken by the East Anglia Medicines Information network in 2009 - 20101. This document is also supported by Chief Pharmacists in the East of England.
Aim
The aim of this document is to ensure that NHS hospital on-call pharmacists in the East of England have access to the same information resources when handling MI enquiries outside of normal working hours.
The resources are organised into general subject categories and where possible, include access to electronic versions of the resources. These will often be available via your MI service. The categories are:
· General
· Drug Administration
· Drug Availability
· Drug Interactions
· Drugs in Pregnancy or Breastfeeding
· Drugs in Renal Disease
· Infectious Diseases
· Mental Health
· Palliative Care
· Pharmaceutical
Access to Enquiry Answering Database (e.g. MiDatabank)
There may be previous enquiries dealing with the same question which may save the on-call pharmacist time. It is important there are local policies for ensuring access to and guidance for using previous enquiries.
Documentation
It is essential that MI provided out-of-hours is documented, the format of which should be determined locally. This data should be reviewed on a regular basis with input from your MI service to identify ways of pro-actively providing information in order to reduce the need to contact the on-call pharmacist for advice.
Costs
The price of these resources can be obtained from the hospital’s MI service. However, many of these resources should be available already from your hospital’s MI service.
Updating the List
This list will be updated on an ongoing basis by the East Anglia Medicines Information service. When changes have been made, an updated list will be circulated to all MI services for local use.
The latest editions of the resources listed in this document can be found within the UKMi Essential Resource Lists at http://www.ukmi.nhs.uk/activities/clinicalGovernance/default.asp?pageRef=4
Suggestions for additions/deletions or how this document can be made more user friendly can be forwarded to
References
1. Cheeseman M. "The East Anglia Medicines Information Out of Hours Project - Resultsfrom apilotstudy" (poster). Presented at the 35th UKMi Practice Development Seminar, Edinburgh; September 2009.
General
Title / Author / Edition / Username & Password / Comment
British National Formulary / BMA and RPSGB (twice yearly) / Current / A paper copy or online www.bnf.org/bnf
BNF for Children / BMA, RPSGB, RCPCH & NPPG (annual) / Current / A paper copy or online http://bnfc.org/bnfc/.
electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) / DataPharm Communications / N/A / http://emc.medicines.org.uk/.
Martindale, the Complete Drug Reference / Sweetman, S
Pharmaceutical Press / Current / Online version (via Medicines Complete) is available and is preferable as it is updated earlier.
Medicines Q&As / UKMi / N/A / http://www.nelm.nhs.uk/en/NeLM-Area/Evidence/Medicines-Q--A/
The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Treatment / Berkow, R et al
Merck and Co. / Current / www.merck.com/mrkshared/mmanual/home.jsp.
Local Trust Policies / Local organisation (s) / Current / Related to the use of medication in your organisation.
Drug Administration
*Handbook of Drug Administration via Enteral Feeding Tubes / White R & Bradnam V
Pharmaceutical Press / Current / It is recommended that at least one of these resources should be accessible
*Also available via www.medicinescomplete.com
The NEWT Guidelines for Administration of Medicines to patients with Enteral Feeding Tubes or Swallowing Difficulties / Smyth JA
North East Wales NHS Trust / Current
Handbook on Injectable Drugs / Trissel, LA
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists / Current / Available via www.medicinescomplete.com
Drug Administration (continued)
Title / Author / Edition / Username & Password / Comment
Intravenous Drug Administration Guides / Local organisation / N/A / It is recommended that at least one of these resources should be accessible to the on-call pharmacist.
http://medusa.wales.nhs.uk or http://www.injguide.nhs.uk.
NB. Available free to contributing Trusts & all Trusts in Wales & N Ireland. If not able to contribute, an annual subscription to access the database can be paid.
UCLH guide is available in paper and electronic formats (see www.uclhguide.com for details).
National Injectable Medicine Guide (Medusa) / Health of Wales Information Service / N/A
UCL hospital injectable medicines guide / Grosso A, Urquhart R (Eds)
University College London Hospitals Pharmacy Department / Current
Drug Availability
RUM Database / London, Eastern & South East Specialist Pharmacy Services / N/A / http://www.londonpharmacy.nhs.uk/Procurement/RUM/default.asp
Registration required.
Solutions Database / UCLH NHS Trust / N/A / www.uclhsolutions.com
Registration required.
Out of hours wholesaler contact details / Various / N/A / See pharmacy procurement for details.
Telephone numbers for hospital pharmacies in region / Various / N/A
Drug Interactions
Stockley’s Drug Interactions / Baxer K (ed)
Pharmaceutical Press / Current / Available online via www.medicinescomplete.com and is preferable as it is updated earlier.
Drugs in Pregnancy or Breastfeeding
Title / Author / Edition / Username & Password / Comment
Medicines Q&As / UKMi / N/A / http://www.nelm.nhs.uk/en/NeLM-Area/Evidence/Medicines-Q--A/
Drugs during Pregnancy and Lactation / Schaefer, C
Elsevier Science / Current / It is recommended that at least one of these resources should be accessible to the on-call pharmacist.
The content of Schaefer is considered to be more user-friendly and clinically applicable than Briggs. The latter is also available online.
Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation / Briggs, G et al
Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins / Current
LactMed / US National Library of Medicine / N/A / http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT.
TOXBASE / National Teratology Information Service / Current / http://www.toxbase.org/
Pregnancy information, registration required.
Drugs in Renal Disease
The Renal Drug Handbook / Currie, C et al
Radcliffe Medical Press / Current / Online PDF version available. See www.radcliffe-oxford.com/renal
Infectious Diseases
Local Antimicrobial Policies / Local organisation(s) / Current
‘The Green Book’
Immunisation Against Infectious Disease / DoH / Current / http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocialcaretopics/Greenbook/DH_4097254
Do not use the paper version.
Health Protection Agency / Health Protection Agency / N/A / www.hpa.org.uk
Mental Health
Title / Author / Edition / Username & Password / Comment
Choice and medication / UKPPG / N/A / http://www.choiceandmedication.org.uk/
Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines / Taylor, D et al
Informa UK Ltd / Current / It is recommended that at least one of these resources should be accessible to the on-call pharmacist.
Maudsley can be accessed online using your Athens username and password (select ‘books journals and healthcare databases’ via www.library.nhs.uk, then ‘e-books’, then search ‘maudsley guideline’)
Psychotropic Drug Directory / Bazire, S
Healthcomm UK Ltd / Current
Palliative Care
Palliative Care Matters / Dr Ian Back, MA(Cantab) MRCGP FRCP, Consultant Physician in Palliative Medicine / N/A / It is recommended that at least one of these resources should be accessible to the on-call pharmacist.
Syringe Driver compatibility database via http://www.pallcare.info/
www.palliativedrugs.com Includes access to Palliative Care Formulary. Registration required.
Palliativedrugs.com / Robert Twycross & Andrew Wilcock / Current
The Syringe Driver: Continuous Subcutaneous Infusions in Palliative Care / Dickman, A et al
Oxford University Press / Current
Pharmaceutical
The Fridge Database / UKMi / Current / www.ukmi.nhs.uk/Secure/Fridge/Index.asp
See MI centre for username and password.
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Mark Cheeseman on behalf of the East Anglia Medicines Information network
Version 2.2
Updated: July 2011, Review: July 2013