Welcome to the Guidelines section of the website. In this section you will find information on prescribing through guidelines, pathways, checklists, local formularies and letters on a number of medical conditions.
Pain and Analgesics
Pain Assessment Tools
- Abbey Pain Scale
- DN4 to assess neuropathic pain
- Pain Assessment and Documentation Tool
- Pain Scales in Multiple Languages
Prescribing Guidance
- Acute Pain Ladder – Nov 2017
- Chronic Pain Ladder – Nov 2017
- Condition Specific Advice on the use of Adjuvants – Nov 2017
- Neuropathic Pain Ladder – October 2019
- Opioid Prescribing for Acute Pain: Key Recommendations – Jan 2019
Deprescribing Guidance
- Fentanyl Patches Tapering Guidance – March 2018
- Lidocaine 5% Medicated Plasters: Guidance for Non-Cancer Pain in Adults – May 2019
- Opioid Equivalence Risks and Recommendations – March 2018
- Opioid Tapering Resource Pack – March 2018
- Pregabalin and Gabapentin Withdrawal Summary Guidance – Jan 2019
Patient Information
- Acute Pain: Self Help and Advice
- Driving and Pain
- Gabapentinoid Reduction
- Lidocaine 5% Medicated Plasters
- Opioids Aware: Taking Opioids For Pain
- Opioid Safety Messages
Non-pharmacological Resources and Leaflets to Support Self-management
Website
Leaflets
- Explaining Pain
- Resources Worth Exploring to Manage Pain Well
- Ten Footsteps. Your Journey to Living Well With Pain
- Sleep Well with Pain
- Using Medicines for Persistent Pain Questionnaire
- Persistent Pain: Supporting Self-Management – Clinician’s Quick Guide – November 2017
National Guidance/Key Resources
- Gabapentinoid Prescribing for Chronic Pain in Primary Care – Resources for Clinicians and Boards
- Live Well With Pain
- Opioids Aware
West Suffolk Integrated Pain Management Service: How to make a referral
Respiratory
- Pharmacological Management of Asthma in Adults (≥ 18 Years): Quick Summary – August 2018
- Pharmacologic Management of COPD in Adults – Quick Summary – March 2017
- How to use inhaler leaflets
- How to use inhaler videos – watch here
Diabetes and Endocrine
- Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Adult Treatment Pathway – November 2019
- Primary Care Guidelines on the frequency of blood glucose self-monitoring in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus not controlled by insulin – March 2019
- Blood Glucose Meters and Testing Strips
- Needles for Insulin Devices
- Lancets
- Flash Glucose Monitoring
- Liothyronine Prescribing Policy – February 2018
- Alogliptin switch procedure June 2019
Antibiotics
- Antibiotic Formulary – Autumn 2017-Autumn 2019
- The TARGET Antibiotics Toolkit
- The ‘Treating your infection – Respiratory Tract Infection’ leaflet
- The ‘Treating your infection – Urinary Tract Infection’ leaflet
- The ‘When Should I Worry?’ booklet for parents and carers
- The ‘Caring for children with coughs’ leaflet
- The ‘Get Well Soon Without Antibiotics’ leaflet
- The ‘Think Pharmacist’ leaflet
- Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) patient information leaflet
- Advice for those affected by MRSA outside of hospital
- How to apply decolonising treatment
- Trimethoprim and Methotrexate: Do not co-prescribe
Care Homes
- Purple Book section 1: Main document
- Purple Book section 2 : Medicines
- Purple Book section 3: Protocols
- Homely Remedies Policy 2017-19
- Flowchart for diagnosis of UTI in care homes
- Record of symptoms and management of UTI in care homes
- NICE-endorsed training
- Prescqipp training
Holiday Medicines
- Travel Vaccines and Malaria Prophylaxis
- Can my GP prescribe extra medication to cover my holiday?
- Can I take my medicine abroad?
- Memo: Vaccine Prescribing for Healthcare and Laboratory Staff and FP34D
Mental Health
- Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust NSFT Formulary
- Antipsychotic use and withdrawal for people with Dementia
- Nalmefene Initiation Pathway for Reducing Alcohol Consumption
- Guidance on Appropriate and Cost-effective Prescribing of Short Acting Hypnotics
Brands, Generics and Simple Switches
- Changes to your oral contraceptives A3 Poster – April 2018
- Generic Medicines Prescribing Policy
- Simple Switches Brand to Brand October 2019
- Simple Switches Brand to Generic October 2019
- Simple Switches Catheters October 2019
- Simple Switches Continence and Stoma Appliances October 2019
- Simple Switches Controlled Drugs Dose Optimisation October 2019
- Simple Switches Controlled Drugs October 2019
- Simple Switches Diabetic Needles October 2019
- Simple Switches Dose Optimisation October 2019
- Simple Switches Eye Drops October 2019
- Simple Switches Formulation Changes October 2019
- Simple Switches Generic to Brand October 2019
- Simple Switches Generic to Generic October 2019
- Simple Switches Oral Contraceptives October 2019
- Simple Switches Skin Care October 2019
- Simple Switches SUMMARY & NEW ADDITIONS October 2019
- Simple Switches Leg bags and night bags – February 2019
Further Policies and Guidelines
- Anticoagulants: guideline on the management of adult patients treated with Warfarin, Phenindione and Acenocoumarol
- Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation Guidance – September 2019
- Bisphosphonate length of treatment guidelines – October 2014
- Compression stockings
- Dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban, the new oral anticoagulants (NOACS), for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation
- Erectile Dysfunction type 5 inhibitors – September 2014
- Optimising safe and appropriate medicines use
- Female Urinary Incontinence Pathway – November 2019
- Health Visitor Formulary– April 2017
- Prescribing Guideline for the Management of Dry Eye – December 2015
- Treatment of constipation in adults
- Pathway for Adult Vitamin D Deficiency– November 2016
- Policy on 7 day prescribing– April 2017
- Prescribing Interval – Guidance for Patients
- Errors with eye drops for glaucoma
