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The 'top 100' drugs and classes in England An updated 'starter formulary' for trainee prescribers.

Audi, S; Burrage, DR; Lonsdale, DO; Pontefract, S; Coleman, JJ; Hitchings, AW; Baker, EH (2018) The 'top 100' drugs and classes in England An updated 'starter formulary' for trainee prescribers. Br J Clin Pharmacol, 84 (11). pp. 2562-2571. ISSN 1365-2125 https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.13709
SGUL Authors: Burrage, Daniel Richard

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Abstract

AIMS: Prescribing is a complex skill required of doctors and, increasingly, other healthcare professionals. Use of a personal formulary can help to develop this skill. In 2006-9, we developed a core list of the 100 most commonly prescribed drugs. Our aim in the present study was to update this 'starter formulary' to ensure its continued relevance for prescriber training. METHODS: We analysed large contemporary primary and secondary care datasets to identify the most frequently prescribed medicinal products. Items were classified into natural groups, broadly following their British National Formulary classification. The resulting drug groups were included in the core list if they comprised ≥0.1% prescriptions in both settings or ≥0.2-0.3% prescriptions in one setting. Drugs from emergency guidelines that did not qualify by prescribing frequency completed the list. RESULTS: Over 1 billion primary care items and approximately 1.8 million secondary care prescriptions were analysed. The updated list comprises 81 drug groups commonly prescribed in both settings; 6 from primary care; 7 from secondary care; and 6 from emergency guidelines. 88% of the formulary was unchanged. Notable changes include entry of newer anti-epileptics and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and exit of phenytoin and thiazolidinediones. CONCLUSIONS: The relative stability of the core drug list over 9 years and the current update ensure that learning based on this list remains relevant to practice. Trainee prescribers may be encouraged to use this 'starter formulary' to develop a sound basis of prescribing knowledge and skills that they can subsequently apply more widely.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Audi, S., Burrage, D. R., Lonsdale, D. O., Pontefract, S., Coleman, J. J., Hitchings, A. W., and Baker, E. H. (2018) The ‘top 100’ drugs and classes in England: an updated ‘starter formulary’ for trainee prescribers. Br J Clin Pharmacol, 84: 2562–2571, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.13709. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.
Keywords: Medical education, general medicine, pharmacoepidemiology, Pharmacology & Pharmacy, 1115 Pharmacology And Pharmaceutical Sciences
SGUL Research Institute / Research Centre: Academic Structure > Infection and Immunity Research Institute (INII)
Journal or Publication Title: Br J Clin Pharmacol
ISSN: 1365-2125
Language: eng
Dates:
DateEvent
9 October 2018Published
10 August 2018Published Online
25 June 2018Accepted
Publisher License: Publisher's own licence
PubMed ID: 29975799
Go to PubMed abstract
URI: https://openaccess.sgul.ac.uk/id/eprint/110000
Publisher's version: https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.13709

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