Pharmaceutical Clinical Technology

In October 2006 the new wound dressings contract was put in place for secondary care with the products being selected by a regional expert group consisting of tissue viability nurses, podiatrists and pharmacists.  The STEPS (safe, therapeutic, economic pharmaceutical selection) process was used to enable objective evidence-based decisions to be made.

The product range was then rolled out into primary care with full effect from 1 July 2007.  The process has resulted in a reduction in the number of items from 570 to 89 and has also enabled community pharmacists to play a much greater role in this important aspect of patient care.

The regional wound product guidance documents are available by clicking on the links below:

In relation to Point of Care Testing (POCT), the regional expert group, chaired by Dr P Archibold, has finalised the tender specification and this will be sent out to the industry in July 2007.

It is intended that an equivalent tender for urinalysis products will be completed by the end of the summer with other areas of POCT to be subsequently looked at.  

Suture evaluations of various available products are on-going with various Trusts prior to the issue of a regional tender in 2008.

Dietetic products, including sip and enteral feeds, pumps and disposables, as well as PEG tubes and associated items, are also under consideration by a regional expert dietetic group (with relevant sub-groups) chaired by Ms Ashleigh Nelson.  It is intended that a new contract covering both primary and secondary care will be put in place by April 2008.

Finally, with regard to medical and surgical disposables, the following work areas will be covered in relation to endosurgery products (with an expert group chaired by Mr T Diamond), endoscopy products (expert group chaired by Mr J McGuigan) and gynaecology products (with an expert group chaired by Dr J Moohan).