Question

A patient prescribed acoltremon asks if ther is any information available about this new product. What is the most appropriate response?

Answer 1

Ask them to spell the name and bring the prescription (or the medicine/label) so you can check it, then look up the product in an authoritative source (computerised records, the manufacturer’s SPC, BNF/BNFc or the pharmacy database). Give the patient the official Patient Information Leaflet that comes with the pack and explain, in plain language, the important points: why it’s prescribed, how and when to take it, common and serious side effects and what to do about them, important interactions or precautions, any monitoring required, storage, and how to report suspected adverse reactions (e.g. Yellow Card in the UK).

If you can’t find reliable information immediately, tell the patient you will check and call them back (or contact the prescriber/manufacturer) rather than guessing.