Bipolar disorder included in NICE work programme
pharmafile | October 27, 2003 | News story | |
NHS professionals are to be given new clinical guidelines in two important areas of mental health as part of NICE's latest work programme.
NICE will now start work on guidance for the management of bipolar disorder and the management of dementia, including the use of antipsychotic medication in people with the condition.
The new reviews are part of a wide-ranging package of clinical guidelines and appraisals of new drugs included in NICE's eighth work programme (see list below).
The guidelines will cover prescribing of Eli Lilly's Zyprexa and Sanofi-Synthlabo's Depakote, which have both received preliminary NICE approval this week.
The use of the drugs will be considered within what the Institute described as a "complex package of care", which will include other non-drug therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy.
Meanwhile, allegations of severe overprescribing of antipsychotic medication to treat dementia in nursing homes is one of the factors prompting NICE to start work on new clinical guidelines for the treatment of patients.
The Institute said there was evidence of "wide variations in current standards of diagnosis and treatment" of the condition, which affects up to 600,000 people in the UK.
Lundbeck's Ebixa will undergo a separate appraisal for moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease, and also for non-Alzheimer's dementias along with Eisai/Pfizer's Aricept and Novartis' Exelon.
Also included in the new work programme is a review of the statin class of cholesterol lowering drugs, which now represent the biggest single area of prescribing on the NHS.
NICE eighth wave work programme: technology appraisals
Cancer
- Hormonal treatments for early breast cancer
- Imatinib (Glivec) for gastrointestinal stromal tumours
- Gefitinib (Iressa) for non-small cell lung cancer
Coronary heart disease
- Dual chamber pacing
- Statins for prevention of coronary events (subject to consultation on precise remit)
Mental health/children
- Parent training programmes, for treatment and prevention of conduct disorder
Older people
- Memantine (Ebixa) for moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease
- New pharmaceutical treatments for non-Alzheimer's dementias
- New treatments for venous leg ulcers
Diabetes
- New treatments for diabetic foot ulcers
Others
- Omalizumab (Xolair) for uncontrolled asthma
- Drotecogin (Xigris) and afelimomab (Segard) for severe sepsis
- New treatments for moderate to severe psoriasis
- Pimecrolimus (Elidel) and tacrolimus (Protopic) for atopic dermatitis (eczema)
- Topical steroids in atopic dermatitis (eczema)
NICE eighth wave work programme: guidelines
Mental health
- Management of bipolar affective disorder (manic-depressive illness)
Mental health/older people
- Management of dementia, including use of antipsychotic medication in people with dementia
Maternity/children
- Management and delivery of care to women in labour (intrapartum care)
- Routine post-natal care of recently delivered women and their babies
Women health
- Hysterectomy and alternative interventions
- Management of urinary incontinence and prolapse of the womb
Other guidance
- Guidance on identification, prevention and management of obesity and maintenance of weight reduction
- Guidance on reduction in accidental injuries outside the home
- Patient safety guide on prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients
