Medicines Information Skills for
NHS Direct Nurse Advisors & Health Information Advisors
Guide to NHS Direct Medicines Q&A documents (October 2009)
Access and availability
N141 What is an unlicensed medicine?
Administration and/or dosage
N6 Medicines with or after food
N22 Missed doses of medicines
N7 Medicines before food or on an empty
stomach
N49 Is it OK to crush tablets/open capsules
N10 Withdrawing from antidepressants
N110 paracetamol doses in children
N13 Missed doses of antibiotics
N111 ibuprofen doses in children
N18 Clotrimazole more than twice in 6 months
N112 paracetamol and ibuprofen for post
vaccination fever
Adverse effects
N44 Antacids in hypertension
N135 ibuprofen adverse effects
N77 How safe are my cough/cold/flu medicines
N137 Adverse effects of diclofenac
N56 Antihistamines and hypertension
N140 Ibuprofen and asthma
N55 Decongestants and hypertension
N145 Penicillin allergy
N59 Ibuprofen and hypertension
Breastfeeding related
N20 OTC analgesia in breast-feeding
N47 Anti-malarials in breast-feeding
N21 OTC cough/cold meds in breast-feeding
N74 Head lice treatment in breast-feeding
N26 Hay fever medicines in breast-feeding
N75 Antihistamines in breast-feeding
N29 Antibiotics in breast-feeding
N106 Co-codamol or co-dydramol while breastfeeding
N31 Paracetamol in breastfeeding
N107 Sumatriptan in breast-feeding
N33 Ibuprofen in breast-feeding
N143 Safety of Tamiflu or Relenza in breast
feeding
N42 General advice on meds in breast-feeding
N146 Safety of Levonelle in breastfeeding
N29 Antibiotics in breast-feeding
Contraception
N68 SJW with the combined oral contraceptive pill
N72 Combined oral contraceptive pill and
surgery
N67 Antibiotics with the progesterone only pill
N61 Progestogen only pill missed or delayed
dose(s)
N69 St John’s Wort with the progestogen only pill
N62 Combined oral contraceptive pill missed or
delayed dose(s)
N70 St John’s Wort with the Mirena coil
N64 Contraceptive implant delayed
N73 Ecstasy with the oral contraceptive pill
N65 Contraceptive injection delayed
N66 Antibiotics with the combined oral
contraceptive pill
N71 Tricycling combined oral contraceptive pill
N60 Type of oral contraceptive pill
N63 Contraceptive patch detached or delayed
Role Preparation: Handling Medicines Calls
Updated October 2009
Medicines Information Skills for
NHS Direct Nurse Advisors & Health Information Advisors
Herbal/complementary medicines
N79 Garlic - interactions
N93 Aloe Vera interactions
N80 Garlic- ADRs
N94 Aloe Vera ADRs
N81 Echinacea Interactions
N95 Chondroitin interactions
N82 Echinacea-ADRs
N96 Chondroitin ADRs
N83 Tea tree oil interactions
N97 Valerian interactions
N84 Tea-Tree oil ADRs
N98 Valerian ADRs
N85 Ginseng interactions
N99 Acidophilus - interactions
N86 Ginseng ADRs
N100 Acidophilus -ADRs
N87Evening Primrose Oil interactions
N101 St John’s Wort - interactions
N88 Evening Primrose Oil ADRs
N102 St John’s Wort ADRs
N89 Saw Palmetto interactions
N103 Glucosamine – interactions
N90 Saw Palmetto ADRs
N104 Glucosamine ADRs
N91Gingko interactions
N108 General herbal medicines
N92 Gingko ADRs
Interactions between medicines or with food/alcohol
N1 Paracetamol and warfarin
N16 OTC painkillers and alcohol
N2 Paracetamol/ibuprofen and cold meds
N23 Cannabis and antidepressants, lithium
N4 Paracetamol and antibiotics
N35 paracetamol and tramadol
N5 Grapefruit juice and calcium channel blockers
N36 Ibuprofen with antibiotics
N12 Antidepressants and alcohol
N52 amitriptyline and cough/cold meds
N14 Metronidazole and starting alcohol
N134 Important interactions with ibuprofen
N15 Antibiotics and alcohol
N136 Important interactions with diclofenac
Names and identification of medicines
N24 What is homeopathic medicine
N51 What are E numbers
N143 What is a broad spectrum antibiotic
Pregnancy related
N50 General advice on medicines in pregnancy
N43 Codeine in pregnancy
N28 Antibiotics in pregnancy
N25 Antihistamines for hay fever in pregnancy
N30 Paracetamol in pregnancy
N46 Antimalarials in pregnancy
N32 Ibuprofen in pregnancy
N58 Vitamin A in pregnancy
N34 Intranasal steroids for hay fever in pregnancy
N57 Cough /cold medicines in pregnancy
N37 Antacids and alginates in pregnancy
N74 Head lice treatment in pregnancy
N38 Omeprazole in pregnancy
N78 Asthma meds in pregnancy
N39 Ranitidine in pregnancy
N109 Treatment of thrush in pregnancy
N40 Threadworm treatment in pregnancy
N147 Constipation in pregnancy
Time in the body (pharmacokinetics)
N8 How long does cannabis stay in the body
Role Preparation: Handling Medicines Calls
N11How long does it take antidepressants to
work
Updated October 2009
Medicines Information Skills for
NHS Direct Nurse Advisors & Health Information Advisors
Uses (indications)
N3 Paracetamol & ibuprofen for fever in children
N142 Kenalog for hayfever
N27 Anti-platelets before minor surgery
N144 Antibiotics: why complete the course?
N45 General advice on malaria prophylaxis
N48 Antimalarials in children
Dental
N105 Warfarin before dental surgery
N124 Dental meds/treatment with epilepsy?
N113 Fluoride in toothpaste
N125 Dental meds/ treatment and diabetes?
N114 Which medicines can dentists prescribe
N126 Dental meds/ treatment and thyroid
disease?
N115 Safety of temporary fillings in pregnancy
N127 Dental meds/ treatment and liver disease?
N116 Safety of temporary fillings in lactation
N128 Dental meds/ treatment and kidney
disease?
N117 Safety of local anaesthetics in pregnancy
N129 What saliva substitutes are available
N118 Safety of local anaesthetics in lactation
N130 What mouthwashes are available OTC
N119 Endocarditis prophylaxis & dental trtmt
N131 Teething treatments available OTC
N120 Anti-platelets and dental treatment
N132 Mouth ulcer treatments are available OTC
N122 Bisphosphonates and dental treatment
N133 Do SSRIs cause bleeding?
N123 Chemotherapy and dental treatment
(Orange font: not yet written, italic font: in Q&A process)
Analgesia related topics
Doses/administration
N110 paracetamol doses in children
N112 paracetamol/ ibuprofen & post vaccination
fever
N3 Paracetamol and ibuprofen for fever in
children
N111 ibuprofen doses in children
Breastfeeding
N31 Paracetamol in breastfeeding
N106 Co-codamol/co-dydramol in breast-feeding
N20 OTC analgesia in breast-feeding
N33 Ibuprofen in breast-feeding
Pregnancy
N30 Paracetamol in pregnancy
N43 Codeine in pregnancy
N32 Ibuprofen in pregnancy
Interactions
N1 Paracetamol and warfarin
N35 paracetamol and tramadol
N4 Paracetamol and antibiotics
N2 Paracetamol/ibuprofen and cold meds
N16 OTC painkillers and alcohol
N136 Important interactions with diclofenac
N134 Important interactions with ibuprofen
N36 Ibuprofen with antibiotics
ADRs
N59 Ibuprofen and hypertension
N135 ibuprofen adverse effects
N137 Adverse effects of diclofenac
N140 Ibuprofen and asthma
Role Preparation: Handling Medicines Calls
Updated October 2009