FDB updates gabapentin and pregabalin records in Multilex
FDB integrates its industry-leading medication clinical decision support, Multilex, into healthcare software systems across the healthcare sector - from GP practices to secondary care, community pharmacy and elsewhere. The company has the support of a large team of in-house expert clinicians, who check multiple sources and interpret NICE and other best practice resources to ensure that all medicines’ information is up to date, to enhance clinical care, patient safety and quality.
Ian Arrowsmith, Head of Clinical Operations explains: “For our primary care customers and for those who issue prescriptions in an outpatient setting, the changes to gabapentin and pregabalin records will enable issued prescriptions to comply with prescription requirements for controlled drugs. This includes the generation of a paper prescription (rather than ETP) and will allow our customers’ systems to prompt an alert if more than 30 days’ supply is provided.
FDB has also updated the drug tariff information to denote that gabapentin and pregabalin are ‘zero discount products,’ which community pharmacy customers may use as part of their prescription endorsements.
We have timed our editorial classification update for March, to coincide with the change in regulation and to minimise disruption for our customers. The timing of the updated data release will also minimise confusion - particularly for patients who currently receive prescriptions via ETP - which won’t be possible once the changes are made. The prompts that we have implemented within the data will aid this transition.”
The team at FDB have been keeping customers informed of these proposed changes since November via advanced notices in their monthly Multilex Bulletin.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
FDB (First Databank), part of the Hearst Health network, is the leading provider of drug knowledge that helps healthcare professionals make precise decisions. With thousands of customers worldwide, FDB enables our information system developer partners to deliver valuable, useful, and differentiated solutions. We offer four decades of experience in transforming medical knowledge into actionable, targeted, and effective solutions that help improve patient safety, operational efficiency, and healthcare outcomes.
