These Handy Protocols are designed to support safe prescribing in EMIS Web. They work in the background to provide timely prompts and alerts for prescribers, ensuring risks are reduced and best practice is followed.
This section covers all Base Handy Protocols for:
Clinical Area: Medicines Management
Resource Category: Medicines Safety
User Type: Prescriber
The Base set is deployed to all PCIT subscribers and should be considered mandatory for safe system operation.
Clinical impact: reduces risk of harm from unsafe prescribing.
Operational impact: standardises medication safety processes across prescribers.
Financial impact: supports achievement of QOF, IIF, and local enhanced services (where medicines safety is incentivised).
Time saving: avoids unnecessary prescribing errors and follow-up workload.
Base Handy Protocols have been grouped into themes to make them easier to navigate:
Prescribing in pregnancy – ensures safety and monitoring when prescribing to pregnant patients.
Contraindications to prescribing – highlights when prescribing is unsafe due to co-morbidities, renal impairment, or other contraindications.
Drug Monitoring – prompts reviews and safety checks where ongoing monitoring is required (e.g. DMARDs).
Drug Risks – focuses on alerts for recognised high-risk drug groups (e.g. steroids, hyperkalaemia-inducing drugs).
Drug Interactions – prevents unsafe prescribing combinations by warning about significant interactions.
Polypharmacy – helps clinicians recognise and manage cumulative medicine risks (e.g. anticholinergic burden).
Theme | Protocol | Resource Type | Function | Identifier |
| Prescribing in pregnancy | Folic Acid High Dose Reminder | Protocol Alert | Ensures monitoring when prescribing high-dose folic acid | HP008 |
| Contraindications to prescribing | eGFR and Metformin Alert | Protocol Alert | Prevents unsafe metformin use in reduced renal function | HP023 |
| Drug Monitoring | DMARD Medication Review >3 months | Protocol | Ensures regular monitoring for patients on DMARDs | HP037 |
| Drug Risks | Hyperkalaemia Warnings | Protocol Alert | Warns of high potassium risk | HP067 |
| Hyperkalaemia Alert Closer | Protocol | Prevents duplicate hyperkalaemia alerts | HP068 | |
| Steroids and No Bone Sparing Agent | Protocol Alert | Ensures bone protection with long-term steroids | HP085 | |
| Steroid Treatment Card | Protocol Alert | Reminds prescriber to issue steroid treatment card | HP195 | |
| Drug Interactions | Both PPI and Thyroxine Alert | Protocol Alert | Warns of absorption issues when prescribed together | HP096 |
| Warfarin and Antibiotics | Protocol | Warns if prescribing antibiotics that interact with warfarin | HP108 | |
| Polypharmacy | Anticholinergic Burden Awareness Alert | Protocol Alert | Flags awareness of high anticholinergic load | HP103 |
| Anticholinergic Burden Calculator | Protocol | Calculates cumulative anticholinergic burden | HP104 |
Base protocols are automatically activated by PCIT.
Review regularly: medicines safety is a fast-moving area; check periodically for updates or new Handy Protocol releases.
Cross-linking: when reviewing Clinical Areas (e.g., Asthma, Cardiovascular), check the Handy Protocols list for relevant alerts.
Training: ensure prescribers understand what each alert means and how to respond.