Call For Prescriptions To Be Redesigned - NICE

NICE is calling for prescriptions to be redesigned to show information on drugs, so that patients with a known drug allergy can avoid.

Providing the information could help avoid patients with known allergies wrongly receiving drugs that could endanger their health, NICE said:

Drugs often responsible for allergic reactions include antibiotics, general anaesthesia, and painkillers such as aspirins and ibuprofen.

Each year around 62,000 people are admitted to hospital after experiencing a serious allergic reaction to a drug. Between 2005 and 2013 there were 18,079 of such incidents, which included 6 deaths, and 19 people who were severely harmed.

NICE recommends that paper or electronic prescriptions in any healthcare setting should be standardised and redesigned to record information on which drugs or drug classes to avoid, to reduce the risk of drug allergy.

Dr Shuaib Nasser, Consultant Allergist, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge and Chair of the Guideline Development Group, said: "Wrongly prescribing drugs to people with known allergies puts them at serious risk of harm but we know this can be avoided. It is important that this is done, as some allergic reactions can be fatal.

"The guideline stresses the care all healthcare professionals must take when documenting new drug allergies and the importance of sharing this information with patients and other healthcare professionals.

"People should be provided with structured written information on drugs to avoid and be advised to check with their pharmacist before taking over-the-counter medicines."

(CD/IT)