Key to symbols used throughout the Joint Medicines Formulary
GREEN - Medicines which may be freely prescribed by all prescribers within local or national recommendations.
AMBER - Medicines which should only be initiated/recommended by specialists but which may then be passed to primary care prescribers for prescribing
AMBER WITH SHARED CARE - These are still AMBER medicines which should only be initiated in secondary care, but which may be passed to primary care prescribers for prescribing provided the terms of a locally agreed shared care protocol (where available) are met.
RED - Medicines which should only be used within the secondary care setting. Primary care prescribers should not be asked to prescribe.
BLACK - These are medicines that have been reviewed and have been deemed less suitable for prescribing, and are therefore not recommended in primary or secondary care. This may be due to the lack of good clinical evidence, or due to the availability of more suitable alternatives.
(Please note that items not listed in the Joint Medicines formulary are deemed unsuitable to prescribe)