Producing a Joint Formulary - Plymouth Area Joint Formulary

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Producing a Joint Formulary

The Joint Formulary is co-ordinated by a small group of primary and secondary care representatives including GPs, consultants and pharmacists. The Joint Formulary Group, in collaboration with relevant specialists, develops the chapters. Once the draft chapter is complete, over 2000 individuals are invited to comment. Chapters are reviewed regularly. Once again we consult widely, seeking feedback and comment as before.

To support education, reduction of errors and stock control the formulary will not include all licensed products in a class. When choosing a drug for inclusion in the formulary, the agent with the widest range of therapeutic indications and best quality published evidence showing clinically beneficial outcomes will be chosen. In most cases a maximum of 2-3 drugs of the same class will be sufficient to cover 80-90% of prescribing.

New Drugs

Generally, new drugs will not be added to the formulary within one year of their launch, unless they are considered to be a radical advance in disease management above anything else available, and that the safety profile stands rigorous examination (there are too many examples of drugs withdrawn within a short period of launching).

Keeping up to date

Each chapter, with the exception of Chapter 5 Infections, is scheduled for review every two years, but reviews may be more frequent if compelling NEW evidence becomes available. The review process follows a similar pattern of wide consultation as the initial chapter production.

Changes to a chapter may occasionally become necessary between reviews, for example, when the Drugs and Therapeutics Committee (DTC) approve new therapies, or a drug is withdrawn from supply. These changes will be made within 3 months of the Joint Formulary Committee agreement on the web-based version of the formulary.

If you would like help implementing the Joint Formulary...

please contact:

• Primary care: your Primary Care Trust Prescribing Team
• Secondary care: the Pharmacy or your directorate pharmacist.

Last updated by: Carol Webb on 02-12-2009 08:07