What is Medicines Information?
The Medicines Information Service holds a comprehensive range of reference texts
Medicines Information is a speciality within the Pharmacy Service that supports the safe, effective use of medicines by provision of evidence-based information and advice.
Services Aims
- To support medicines management within Blackpool Teaching NHS Foundation Trust
- To support the pharmaceutical care of individual patients.
Who provides the service?
Qualified NHS Pharmacists who have undertaken additional training in the speciality provide the service.
The Medicines Information Service is based at Blackpool Victoria Hospital and covers the Blackpool and Fylde coast region. It primarily serves Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists and other appropriate healthcare professionals based in primary or secondary care.
Services Provided
The service provides evaluated information and advice regarding all aspects of medicine use including:
- Adverse drug reactions
- Interactions between medicines
- Safety of medicines in pregnancy and breastfeeding mothers
- Safety of drugs in impaired hepatic/renal function
- Dose and frequency of medicines.
Resources
The information is based on carefully evaluated and researched data.
The Medicines Information Service has access to a comprehensive range of specialist reference resources.
Investment in information technology hardware and training allows the service fast and efficient access to the very latest on-line journals and databases. Medicines Information is therefore capable of providing accurate and well- sourced information on demand.
Useful Links
Blackpool Medicines Formulary:
Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group (RAG list):
Local Formularies provide a list of selected or preferred drugs available to local prescribers and have an important role in underpinning safe and effective use of medicines.
Innovation, Health and Wealth have introduced a NICE Compliance Regime for the introduction of NICE technology appraisals for medicines. The aim is to support patient access to NICE approved medicines and technologies and there is a requirement to publish information on the inclusion of NICE approved medicines in the local Formulary.
The NICE good practice guideline recommends that medicines with a positive NICE technology appraisal are included into the local Formulary automatically, where clinically appropriate and relevant to the services provided by the organisation.
All relevant local Formulary information should be published online, in a clear, simple and transparent way, so that patients, the public and stakeholders can easily understand, says NICE.
The guidance also highlights the need for local decision making groups to collaborate and to avoid wastefully duplicating effort by making use of existing medicines information resources from relevant organisations.
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group and Fylde and Wyre Clinical Commissioning Group work together on medicines-related issues and to reduce the administrative burden of Formulary maintenance, the Blackpool CCG RAG list is published as the local Formulary and is located on the Blackpool Commissioning Group website, which can be accessed via the link above.
British National Formulary (BNF):
British National Formulary (BNFC):
Electronic Medicines Compendium:
NHS Evidence
Specialist Pharmacy Service
NHS Choices: