Click on the links or scroll down the page for information about work currently in progress by category. Please note that information summarised on this page is subject to change.
We produce prescribing guidance and other medicines resources to help patients and healthcare professionals in Wales make sure that medicines are used effectively and appropriately. When we produce these resources, we think it's important that people who might be affected by them have a chance to tell us their views.
We ask patients and carers, patient organisations, prescribers and other healthcare professionals to comment on the resources we're developing. We'd like your views on the resources we're currently working on, listed below. You don't need to comment on the whole document; only on parts that seem relevant to you.
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Title: Initial clinical management of nicotine withdrawal in adults in secondary care Status: Consultation completed Remit: This is an update to the document ‘Initial clinical management of adult smokers in secondary care’. The document gives information and guidance on the initiation of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in secondary care settings in NHS Wales, for management of nicotine withdrawal in adults who smoke. It has been reviewed and updated to include information on the use of vapes. Estimated publication date: September 2024-November 2024 |
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Title: National Prescribing Indicators 2025-2028 Status: Consultation completed Remit: The review and update of NPIs now takes place every three years to enable health boards to develop long-term plans for utilising NPIs to make measurable improvements in prescribing. The development of the NPIs for 2025–2028 takes into consideration the overall goals and objectives set in the AWMSG Strategy for Wales: 2024–2029. Estimated publication date: September 2024–November 2024 |
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Title: All Wales Medicine Management Guidelines for Integrated Community Based Services Status: Consultation completed Remit: This guideline is focused on community care and designed to address the unique needs and challenges faced by registered service providers ensuring consistent medicine advice in diverse care settings. Specifically designed to guide local policy development, this guideline aims to establish a unified and integrated policy across health and social care, providing comprehensive guidance for medicine optimisation. Estimated publication date: June 2025-August 2025 |
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Title: Managing medicines shortages in Wales Status: Consultation completed Remit: This project aims to develop a patient information leaflet to inform people in Wales about what happens if there is a shortage of a medicine in Wales, and the processes involved. The leaflet is intended for all patients, and their families and carers, in Wales. And also for healthcare professionals in Wales who are involved in prescribing and dispensing medicines for which there is a medicine shortage. Estimated publication date: February -March 2025 |
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Title: Urgent Requests for Medication – Guidance for NHS 111 and out-of-hours primary care services Status: Consultation anticipated December 2024–February 2025 Remit: Urgent requests for repeat medication are a major burden to NHS 111 and out-of-hours (OOH) primary care services. This document outlines factors to be considered by healthcare professionals when deciding whether to prescribe urgent repeat medication at the request of a patient. Estimated publication date: March 2025–May 2025 |
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Title: All Wales Shared Care Framework Status: Consultation anticipated March 2025–May 2025 Remit: To review and refine the current principles for the use of shared care within NHS Wales and to develop an All Wales framework that sets out the principles of shared care and supports health boards and prescribers in the appropriate use of shared care. |
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Title: All Wales Common Ailments Service Formulary - Monograph for allergic rhinitis (consultation) Status: Consultation open Remit: The Common Ailments Service aims to improve patient access to consistent, evidence-based advice for the management of common ailments. The Welsh Medicines Advice Service (WMAS), in collaboration with the Community Pharmacy Clinical Advisory Group, have updated the allergic rhinitis monograph to include fexofenadine as a treatment option. The referral, treatment and formulary information have been re-designed based on user feedback. Estimated publication date: April-May 2025 |
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Title: Policy for the sustainable procurement, management, administration and disposal of medical gases within the hospital setting to achieve decarbonisation Status: Consultation open Remit: This document targets the procurement and management of medical gases. While the principles and recommendations could be applied to many medical gases, this policy focuses on nitrous oxide and Entonox®, as these gases have the highest impact due to high global warming potential and high-volume usage. Estimated publication date: April-May 2025 |
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Medicine name: guanfacine (Intuniv®) Reference number: 2361 Indication: Treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents 6 to 17 years old for whom stimulants are not suitable, not tolerated or have been shown to be ineffective. Intuniv® must be used as a part of a comprehensive ADHD treatment programme, typically including psychological, educational and social measures. Licence status: Licensed for the indication under consideration AWMSG Scrutiny Panel meeting date: 09/01/2025 |
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Medicine name: abiraterone (generic) Reference number: 2043 Indication: Treatment of newly diagnosed high risk metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer in adult men in combination with androgen deprivation therapy. Licence status: Licensed for the indication under consideration AWMSG Scrutiny Panel meeting date: 09/01/2025 |
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Medicine name: cetuximab (Erbitux®) Reference number: 6321 Indication: Third line or later treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) as a re-challenge after previous successful first-line use of an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor (EGFRi). Licence status: Off-label for the indication under consideration AWMSG Scrutiny Panel meeting date: 09/01/2025 |
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Medicine name: panitumumab (Vectibix®) Reference number: 6340 Indication: Third line or later treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) as a re-challenge after previous successful first-line use of an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor (EGFRi). Licence status: Off-label for the indication under consideration |
Patients, carers and patient organisations - please see our New medicines needing your views page for answers to some questions you might have about making a submission.
Clinical experts - please see our Clinical expert opinion for medicine appraisals page for background information.
We'd like to receive your submission before the stated deadline (so we can prepare the meeting papers). But we'll still try to include any that arrive late.
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Medicine name: emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (Descovy®) Reference number: 2566 Indication: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV-1 infection in at‑risk men who have sex with men, including adolescents (with body weight at least 35 kg). Patient and carer submission: Download form or submit online Patient organisation submission: Download form or submit online Clinical experts submission: Download form |
No assessments are currently underway.
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Title: Review of AWMSG processes to support medicines access in NHS Wales Summary: Revision of processes to improve access to medicines Estimated publication date: Summer/Autumn 2024 Document: Review of AWMSG processes to support medicines access in NHS Wales (PDF, 54Kb) |
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Title: AWMSG annual report 2023-2024 Summary: Review of the activities and achievements of the All Wales Medicine Strategy Group (AWMSG) between April 2023 and March 2024. Estimated publication date: September 2024 |
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Title: IPFR annual report 2023-2024 Summary: Review of Individual Patient Funding Request activity in Wales between April 2023 and March 2024. Estimated publication date: September 2024 |