PGD use for medicines used in the management of long term conditions

It is not recommended that PGDs are used to initiate, or continue, treatment for long term conditions.

Long term conditions should be managed by healthcare professionals prescribing for individual patients on a one-to-one basis.

Guidance

NICE PGD guidance states: Do not use PGDs for managing long-term conditions, such as hypertension or diabetes, or when uncertainty remains about the differential diagnosis. 

There may be occasions, however, when a healthcare professional treats someone under a PGD for symptoms arising from a long term condition e.g. administration of salbutamol in acute asthma in an Urgent Care Centre. This highlights the importance of including clear instructions within PGDs on referral of individuals to an appropriate practitioner/prescriber responsible for their long term care and any other follow-up action required.

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