Aminophylline has a narrow therapeutic index and bioavailability differs between brands. Patients should be maintained on the same brand.
Theophylline
Formulary
Brand must be stated
Note: The rate of absorption from modified-release preparations can vary between brands. Additionally, it is essential that a patient discharged from hospital should be maintained on the brand on which that patient was stabilised as an in-patient. (As per BNF)
Medicines that can only be prescribed within Secondary Care.
Examples of medicines which fall into this category are:
Certain new medicines and new indications for older medicines where there is at present
no experience of use in Primary Care.
Medicines or dressings not available or prescribable in Primary Care.
Where a medicine has been classified as Amber E, but an approved shared-care guideline is not yet available
Medicines which can be prescribed within Secondary Care, but are only suitable for prescribing in Primary Care after specialist referral. There is no need for approved shared care guidelines for medicines in this category. This replaces Amber 2 on the North Staffs Formulary.
Medicines which can be prescribed within Secondary Care, but are only considered suitable for prescribing in Primary Care under an approved shared-care agreement (ESCA) or Rationale for Initiation, Continuation and Discontinuation (RICaD). This replaces Amber 1 on the North Staffs Formulary
Medicines which can be prescribed in either Primary or Secondary Care.
These medicines have been reviewed by the New Medicines Committee and the Area Prescribing Committee and found not to be suitable for inclusion in the Joint Formulary.
Inadequate or weak evidence for efficacy
No clearly defined local need
Lack of long term safety data
No perceived benefit over established formulary alternatives
Prescribers can consider these medicines where formulary alternatives are unsuitable, ineffective or
not tolerated.
