Recommendations
This section contains a list of the policy recommendations of the Pan Mersey Area Prescribing Committee.
Reviews of the new medicines have been conducted by our pharmacists using a number of resources including National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) which is a Special health Authority (SHA) set up in 1999. It is used to give advice to the NHS on best clinical practice including the clinical and cost effectiveness of drugs and other treatments.
Definitions and criteria for the categorisation of medicines
Legacy Merseyside
New Cheshire and Merseyside
Transition of Commissioning Policies
On 1st July 2022 NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) became the new statutory body responsible for ensuring health care services are available to meet the reasonable needs of the people of Cheshire & Merseyside.
Until such time as a single suite of commissioning policies can be developed and adopted, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside will continue to adopt and operate the CCG policies it has inherited at Place/borough level, which means that there will be no immediate change in commissioning policy for local people resident in those Places/boroughs from what was in place prior to 1st July 2022.
Documents
The Pan Mersey Area Prescribing Committee recommends the prescribing of RANIBIZUMAB intravitreal injection (Lucentis®), by ophthalmologists only, for the treatment of visual impairment secondary to choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) in conditions not covered by NICE technology appraisals.
The Pan Mersey Area Prescribing Committee does not recommend the prescribing of Rasburicase powder and solvent for concentrate for solution for infusion (Fasturtec®▼) for the “off label” treatment of severe, refractory, tophaceous gout resistant to xanthine oxidase inhibitors (allopurinol & febuxostat) and uricosuric agents (benzbromarone) or for whom these drugs are contraindicated.
The Pan Mersey Area Prescribing Committee recommends the prescribing of RELUGOLIX-ESTRADIOL-NORETHISTERONE ACETATE tablets (Ryeqo®▼) for treating uterine fibroids in accordance with NICE TA832.
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside APPROVED
The Cheshire and Merseyside Area Prescribing Group recommends the prescribing of REMDESIVIR solution for infusion, by specialists only, for treating COVID-19 in accordance with NICE TA971.
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside APPROVED
The Pan Mersey Area Prescribing Committee recommends RIFAXIMIN 550mg tablets (Targaxan®), following specialist initiation, as an option for reducing the recurrence of overt hepatic encephalopathy in people aged 18 years or older in accordance with NICE TA 337.
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside recommends the prescribing of RIMEGEPANT oral lyophilisate (Vydura®▼), following specialist initiation, for preventing migraine in accordance with NICE TA906.
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside APPROVED
The Pan Mersey Area Prescribing Committee recommends the prescribing of RISANKIZUMAB solution for injection (Skyrizi®▼), by specialists only,
for psoriatic arthritis in accordance with NICE TA803.
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside APPROVED
The Cheshire and Merseyside Area Prescribing Group recommends the prescribing of RISANKIZUMAB (Skyrizi®▼), by specialists only, for previously treated moderately to severely active Crohn's disease in accordance with NICE TA888.
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside APPROVED
NHS England specialised commissining resources: the clinical reference group responsible for specialised rheumatology has published a commissioning policy that defines access to a particular service for a cohort of patients.
NHS England specialised commissining resources: the clinical reference group responsible for specialised rheumatology has published a commissioning policy that defines access to a particular service for a cohort of patients.
RITUXIMAB (Truxima®▼, Rixathon®▼)The Pan Mersey Area Prescribing Committee recommends the prescribing of rituximab by specialists only, for immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura before romiplostin and eltrombopag.
The Pan Mersey Area Prescribing Committee recommends the prescribing of rituximab infusion for rheumatoid arthritis in accordance with NICE TA195 and in accordance with the Mersey Rheumatoid Arthritis Biologics Pathway. Treatment should be initiated and supervised by a rheumatologist.
The Pan Mersey Area Prescribing Committee recommends the prescribing of Rivaroxaban 2.5mg tablets (Xarelto®▼) following specialist initiation for preventing adverse outcomes after acute management of acute coronary syndrome in accordance with NICE TA335.
The Pan Mersey Area Prescribing Committee recommends the prescribing of RIVAROXABAN 2.5mg tablets (Xarelto®▼) plus aspirin, for the prevention of atherothrombotic events in adult patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) or symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD) at high risk of ischaemic events, in accordance with NICE TA607.
The Pan Mersey Area Prescribing Committee recommends the prescribing of ROMOSOZUMAB solution for injection (EVENITY®▼), by specialists only, for treating severe osteoporosis in accordance with NICE TA791.
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside APPROVED
The Pan Mersey Area Prescribing Committee recommends the prescribing of ROXADUSTAT film coated tablets (Evrenzo®▼), by specialists only, for treating symptomatic anaemia in chronic kidney disease in accordance with NICE TA807.
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside APPROVED