Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Adverse drug reaction
- An unwanted or harmful effect caused by a medicine when it is taken correctly.
- Adverse event
- Any unexpected or unwanted occurrence linked to a treatment that harms, or could harm, a patient.
- Body mass index (BMI)
- A measure of body weight in relation to height, used to judge whether a person is underweight, a healthy weight or overweight.
- British National Formulary (BNF)
- The standard United Kingdom reference giving prescribers up-to-date guidance on the use, doses and safety of medicines.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Clinically meaningful response
- A predefined degree of weight loss within a set period, used to judge whether the medicine is working well enough to continue.
- Cold chain
- Keeping vaccines and certain medicines within a safe temperature range from delivery to use.
- Contemporaneous record
- A note made at the time of, or immediately after, an event so that it is accurate and reliable.
- Contraindication
- A specific situation or condition in which a medicine should not be used because it could cause harm.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers doctors in the United Kingdom and sets the standards they must follow.
- General practitioner
- A doctor who provides general medical care in the community, often a patient's usual family doctor.
- GLP-1 receptor agonist
- A class of injectable medicine, originally used in diabetes, that reduces appetite and is licensed for certain products as an aid to weight management.
- Informed consent
- Agreement to treatment given freely after the risks, benefits and alternatives have been clearly explained.
- Initiation
- Prescribing and issuing the first and lowest dose of a medicine to a patient who is starting treatment.
- Licensed indication
- The specific condition or use for which a medicine has been officially approved by the regulator.
- Maintenance dose
- The ongoing dose reached at the end of titration and continued where treatment is working and tolerated.
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- The United Kingdom body that regulates medicines and medical devices and issues safety alerts.
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- The law that protects and supports people who may be unable to make particular decisions for themselves.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The body that produces evidence-based guidance on treatments and care for use across health and care services.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Off-label prescribing
- Prescribing a licensed medicine for a use, dose or group of patients outside the terms of its licence.
- Pancreatitis
- Inflammation of the pancreas, which can cause severe abdominal pain and needs prompt medical attention.
- Pharmacotherapy
- The treatment of a condition using medicines.
- Red flag
- A warning sign or symptom that may indicate a serious problem needing urgent assessment.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Remote prescribing
- Prescribing without a face-to-face consultation, for example through an online or telephone service.
- Scope of practice
- The range of activities a clinician is trained, competent and authorised to carry out.
- Sharps
- Needles, blades and other items that can cut or puncture the skin.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written, step-by-step instruction describing how a task is to be carried out consistently and safely.
- Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)
- The official document for a medicine that sets out its approved use, dosing and titration schedule, cautions, contraindications and side effects.
- Titration
- Increasing the dose of a medicine gradually, in planned steps, until the right dose is reached.
- Yellow Card Scheme
- The United Kingdom system, run by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, for reporting suspected side effects and problems with medicines.