Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Adrenaline (epinephrine)
- The emergency medicine given by injection to treat a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).
- Adverse drug reaction (ADR)
- An unwanted or harmful reaction that follows the use of a medicine.
- Aseptic non-touch technique
- A method of preparing and giving injections that avoids touching the parts that must stay sterile, so the medicine does not become contaminated.
- Botulinum toxin
- A prescription-only medicine injected to relax muscles, commonly used in aesthetic treatments to soften lines and wrinkles.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Cold chain
- Keeping vaccines and certain medicines within a safe temperature range from delivery through to use.
- Contemporaneous record
- A record made at the time an action happens, or as soon as possible afterwards, so it is accurate and reliable.
- Contraindication
- A reason, such as a health condition or another medicine, why a particular treatment should not be given to a person.
- Controlled drug
- A medicine whose supply, storage and records are tightly restricted by law because of its potential for misuse.
- Dermal filler
- A gel-like substance injected beneath the skin to smooth lines or add volume; an adjunct is a product used alongside it.
- Falsified medicine
- A fake medicine that has been deliberately mislabelled about its identity, source or history.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting the fundamental standards that providers of regulated care must meet, including Regulation 12 on safe care and treatment.
- Human Medicines Regulations 2012
- The main law in the United Kingdom governing how medicines for human use are licensed, supplied and administered.
- Hyaluronidase
- An injectable medicine used to dissolve dermal filler, including in an emergency such as a blocked blood vessel.
- Independent prescriber
- A doctor, dentist or other suitably qualified and registered professional who can assess a patient and prescribe medicines on their own responsibility.
- Informed consent
- Agreement to treatment given freely after the risks, benefits and alternatives have been clearly explained.
- Local anaesthetic
- A medicine that numbs a small area of the body so a procedure can be carried out without pain.
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- The body that regulates medicines and medical devices in the United Kingdom and runs the Yellow Card reporting scheme.
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001
- The laws that control how controlled drugs may be stored, supplied, recorded and disposed of.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, either by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Off-label use
- Using a licensed medicine in a way not covered by its official approval, for example for a different purpose or dose.
- Patient Group Direction (PGD)
- A written instruction letting named staff supply or give a medicine to a group of patients without an individual prescription.
- Patient-specific direction
- A written instruction from a prescriber to give a named medicine to a named, individually assessed patient.
- Pharmacy (P) medicine
- A medicine that can be sold only from a pharmacy under a pharmacist's supervision, without a prescription.
- Prescription-only medicine (POM)
- A medicine that may lawfully be supplied only on the instruction of an appropriate prescriber.
- Quarantine (of stock)
- Setting a product aside and clearly marking it as not for use until a decision is made about it.
- Reconstitution
- Mixing a medicine that comes as a powder with a liquid to make it ready to inject.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care or treatment the law requires a provider to register with the regulator to deliver.
- Remote prescribing
- Prescribing a medicine without seeing the patient face to face, for example by telephone, video or online form.
- Sharps
- Needles, blades and other items that can cut or puncture the skin.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written, step-by-step instruction for carrying out a routine task safely and consistently.
- Stock rotation (first to expire, first out)
- Arranging stock so that the items due to expire soonest are used first, to reduce waste.
- Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)
- The manufacturer's official, licensed information about a medicine, including how to use it safely.
- Wholesale dealer
- A licensed business that buys and supplies medicines in bulk to clinics, pharmacies and other authorised buyers.
- Yellow Card scheme
- The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's system for reporting suspected side effects and defective medicines.