Practice Formulary Overview

A sub-set of the full Gemscript Drug Dictionary can become the practice formulary in order to save time when prescribing (it is quicker to find a drug from a Formulary than from the full drug dictionary), and to encourage consistency amongst GPs and GP registrars when prescribing.

The Formulary can be created in a number of ways:

• You can use the Drug Dictionary Utilities option in the Modules menu. This lets you compile a list of the most commonly used drugs in your practice which can later be reduced or enlarged and used as a basis for creating your Formulary (see Drug Dictionary Utilities on-screen help)
• You can also start a Formulary from a blank list if required.
• You can import an already existing Formulary (for example, from another practice ) and modify it for your own use (see see Drug Dictionary Utilities on-screen help).

  Note - To avoid formularies being deleted by accident, it is strongly recommended that only System Administrators have access to the Drug Dictionary module.

After the Formulary has been created:

• You must change the security settings of the staff who are going to use the Formulary, so that their default selection of drugs is from the formulary. A System Manager needs to edit their user details in Control Panel - Security and tick the box Select drugs fromdrug formulary.
• When listing the full dictionary during drug selection, a Formulary item has a small f in the left-hand margin. Each user can decide whether to select or remove items from the Formulary (see Default drug selection and formulary selection)
• You can add drug defaults to formulary and non-formulary items (see To add your own defaults)
• For those who are set to use the Formulary by default, on adding a drug in Consultation Manager, Vision will initially search for the drug in the practice Formulary. If a drug match is not found in the Formulary, you will be given the option to look at the full Gemscript drug dictionary. From Consultation Manager you are also able to add and remove items from the Formulary on an ad hoc basis.
• You will need to update the Formulary as new drugs are added to the Vision drug dictionary.

Maintaining the Formulary

The Drug Dictionary Utilities option from the Modules menu on Vision front menu also allows you to create a drug Formulary. It is well worth while keeping a copy of your formulary - you can do this by exporting your formulary and storing the copy. You are also advised to restrict access to Drug Dictionary Utilities to system managers in case a member of staff inadvertently selects Formulary - Remove All Formulary Entries or Replace Formulary with List.

Maintain Formulary lets you add or remove individual therapy items to or from the formulary.