Using the MPD
CHANGE TO MPD - All NON-FORMULARY ITEMS ARE HIDDEN BUT CAN BE SHOWN BY CLICKING THE ARROW - Please see instructions Click Here
The Medicines and Product Directory (MPD) can be used to find a specific medicine or product, prescribing information and National and Local Guidance in three ways.
You can select the following tabs situated within the grey banner or along the left hand side of the homepage:-
- Therapeutic Section - has an arrow tab which when selected will provide a dropdown list of therapeutic sections and sub-sections - this option is particularly useful if you want to look at all medicine/products in a particular therapeutic section but can also be used to find a specific medicine/product.
- Drug Index - this can be used to find a specific medicine/product and is in alphabetical order and will bring up all medicines / products beginning with the selected letter. All medicines and products in the directory will appear with their TLS colour coding alongside it. This displays the most relevant information about the medicine/product. If you require further information click on a medicine/product from this page and it will give you additional links, for example formulary products will give more information like strength/ form / pack size.
- Search Box - this will bring up all entries where the medicine/product is listed for you to select, some medicines/ products have several indications and may appear in several sections/sub-sections, you would then choose the section dependant on the indication you are considering. You have to be specific with the search as sometimes the database does not recognise a search, you may need to simplify the search criteria in order to find the medicine / product.
Traffic Light Status Key (TLS)
This indicates the TLS status given by the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Area Prescribing Group (APC). The TLS status indicates where a medicine/product can be prescribed ( Primary/ Secondary Care or both ), national and local guidance, monitoring requirements and any other specific information. Grey, Red and Amber status is broken down further with a rationale to clarify the status choice. Where a medicine / product is categorised as Grey / Red / Amber then the rationale will be included in the medicine / product information.
Grey Status
Definition -These products should not be initiated or prescribed on an NHS prescription in the Doncaster & Bassetlaw Health Care Communities unless in exceptional circumstances.
Rationale
- Evidence available supports that use in this area is inappropriate
- Insufficient evidence available to support its use in therapy
- Item withdrawn from market/discontinued
- Drug to be discussed at Doncaster Formulary Liaison Group/Medicines Management Committee or other groups before category agreed.
- A product for which the APC’s view of evidence of benefit over existing therapy does not justify routine availability.
Red Status
Definition:- Initiation and ongoing prescribing should not be undertaken in primary care (unless as part of a specialist GPwSI service)
Rationale
- Requiring specialist assessment to enable patient selection, initiation and ongoing treatment
- Requiring long term on-going monitoring of efficacy by a specialist
- Requiring long term on-going monitoring of toxicity by a specialist (either because of difficulty in recognising side effects or high cost of investigations to identify toxicity)
- Specifically designated as “hospital only “ by product licence or by DH
- That is either a new product or is a new indication for an existing product, which needs evaluation to be undertaken to establish place in therapy
- That are hospital initiated clinical trial materials
- No prescribing information readily available.
- NICE guidance
Amber Status
Definition- Initiation and continued prescribing in primary care should only be undertaken under auspices of an agreed shared care protocol
Rationale
- Requiring specialist assessment to enable patient selection and initiation of treatment
- Requiring short or medium term (e.g. 3-6 months) specialist monitoring of efficacy or until the patient is stable.
- Requiring short or medium term specialist monitoring of toxicity
- That are very rarely used such that primary care practitioners are unlikely to see sufficient patients and acquire a working knowledge of the drug
- Specific long term monitoring for toxicity
- NICE Guidance
- Where an agreed shared care protocol exists
Amber Status with Guidance
Definition- Products must be initiated and where relevant titrated to stable dosage by a specialist before primary care practitioners take over prescribing responsibility. There may be a requirement for monitoring to be undertaken by the primary care practitioner as defined in relevant Amber G Guidance. Please refer to the Comments for each individual product.
Green Status with Guidance
Definition- Products for which primary care practitioners may take full responsibility for initiating and ongoing prescribing however, prescribing guidelines apply. Please refer to the Comments for each individual drug.
Green Status
Definition- Products for which primary care practitioners may take full responsibility for initiating and ongoing prescribing however, they are subject to local formulary guidelines. Products in this category with appear in the TLS for 6 months from consideration only.