Wound Formulary Management

Wound Management Guidelines and Wound Formulary – why is this important?

NHS Trusts and other Qualified Healthcare Providers are constantly seeking ways to ensure standardised practice for safe, effective, evidence-based care. The Wound Management Guidelines and Formulary play an essential role in this by providing guidance for practitioners on wound treatment protocols, clinical pathways and recommended wound dressings to support appropriate care of patients.

The Wound Management Guidelines and Formulary policy is developed by a multi-disciplinary team of health professionals who have specialist knowledge and expertise in wound management.

The aims are to provide a clinically effective, evidence-supported and cost effective choice of wound care dressings and wound treatment products to manage the vast majority of wound types. This information is reviewed and updated on a regular basis.

Wound care products and dressings used for treatment of patients are prescribed items. In the UK, the availability of dressings for use in patients’ homes is dictated by approval of availability and reimbursement on Drug Tariff.

In the Hospital setting for UK, the choice of dressings is wider than the Drug Tariff. There needs to be consideration of continuity of care when a patient is discharged from Hospital to Community. Joint Hospital and Community Wound Management Formularies are now addressing this effectively for seamless patient care.

Wound Management Guidelines and Wound Formulary – key aims

The rationale for information provided in Wound Management Guidelines and Formulary policy is to support safe, effective care, as follows:

• Enable evidence-based practice by providing a framework within which it is safe to practice
• Support the practical application of nurse prescribing with clear formulary information
• Underpin safe, cost-effective wound dressing prescribing and use
• Alert on managing safety and risk on use of products
• Optimise use of cost effectiveness treatment options
• Reflect patient acceptance and compliance aspects
• Facilitate continuity of care

Wound Management Guidelines and Wound Formulary – key content framework

Entec Health’s analysis of an extensive range of NHS Wound Management Guidelines and Wound Formulary shows that the following content framework is deployed to support the aims of this important wound management best practice policy:

Wound Management Guide – clinical goals, treatment planning, infection management, evidence references

Wound Treatment Protocols – wound assessment, wound treatment protocols by wound type, clinical pathways, recommended wound dressings/products by wound type

Formulary Listing – Product categories, prescribing information by product name, sizes available,  appropriate use guidance, price per unit

The Wound Management Guidelines and Wound Formulary is provided as guidance and is intended for use in conjunction with the health professional’s clinical knowledge and judgement. The product information featured in the wound formulary listing is not intended to replace manufacturer’s product indication and recommendations on appropriate use.

Wound Management Guidelines and Wound Formulary – how effective is this tool?

Currently, vast majority of NHS Trusts and Qualified Healthcare Providers are reliant on traditional methods of creating and distributing paper-based Wound Management Guidelines and Wound Formulary tools. Printed formats included printed booklets and laminated cards. Some Trusts have developed intranet resources.

The information is essential for wound care practitioners and is usually made available as a printed tool or an intranet resource. These formats have limitations in terms of access and usability.

Entec Health has developed a cloud service to enable NHS Trusts and other Healthcare Providers to publish custom Wound Management Guidelines and Wound Formulary as a mobile App for access via smart phones and tablets. Learn more here