Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Acute kidney injury (AKI)
- A sudden drop in how well the kidneys work, which dehydration from vomiting or diarrhoea can cause or make worse.
- Acute pancreatitis
- Sudden inflammation of the pancreas, a gland in the upper abdomen, which can be serious and causes severe pain that often spreads to the back.
- Adverse drug reaction (ADR)
- An unwanted or harmful effect that is suspected to be caused by a medicine.
- Adverse effect
- An unwanted or harmful effect experienced after taking a medicine.
- Anaphylaxis
- A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction needing immediate emergency treatment.
- Black triangle symbol
- An inverted black triangle marked on a medicine to show it is under extra safety monitoring, so all suspected reactions to it should be reported.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Cautions
- Situations where a medicine can be used but with extra care, monitoring or advice because of a possible increased risk.
- Contraindication
- A specific situation or condition in which a medicine should not be used because the risk of harm is too high.
- Drug Safety Update
- A regular bulletin from the medicines regulator giving prescribers important new safety information about medicines.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty to be open and honest with a person and their family when something goes wrong with their care.
- Fast-acting carbohydrate
- A sugary food or drink, such as glucose tablets or fruit juice, taken quickly to raise low blood glucose.
- Gallbladder disease
- Problems affecting the gallbladder, such as gallstones or inflammation, which can cause pain in the upper right abdomen.
- Gallstones
- Hard lumps that form in the gallbladder and can cause pain, especially after fatty meals.
- Gastric emptying
- The rate at which food leaves the stomach and passes into the gut; some weight-loss medicines deliberately slow this down.
- Gastrointestinal
- Relating to the stomach and gut, for example nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers and sets standards for doctors in the United Kingdom.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A family doctor who provides general medical care in the community.
- GLP-1 receptor agonist
- A class of injectable medicine for weight management and type 2 diabetes (for example semaglutide or liraglutide) that slows stomach emptying and reduces appetite.
- Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP)
- A natural gut hormone; some newer weight-loss medicines act on its receptor as well as the GLP-1 receptor.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting out the fundamental standards that providers of regulated care must meet, including Regulation 12 on safe care and treatment.
- Human Medicines Regulations 2012
- The main set of rules governing how medicines for human use are licensed, supplied and monitored in the United Kingdom.
- Hypoglycaemia
- Abnormally low blood glucose (blood sugar), which can cause sweating, shaking, confusion and, if severe, collapse.
- Inverted black triangle symbol
- A mark on a medicine showing it is under additional safety monitoring, so all suspected reactions should be reported.
- Jaundice
- Yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes, which can be a sign of liver or gallbladder problems.
- Liraglutide
- A GLP-1 receptor agonist medicine used for weight management and type 2 diabetes.
- Locum, bank or agency staff
- Temporary or stand-in staff who cover shifts but are still expected to follow the service's procedures.
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- The United Kingdom body that regulates medicines and medical devices and monitors their safety.
- 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.
- Non-medical prescriber
- A trained healthcare professional who is not a doctor, such as a nurse or pharmacist, who is qualified to prescribe medicines.
- Palpitations
- An awareness of the heart beating fast, hard or irregularly.
- Patient Information Leaflet
- The leaflet supplied with a medicine explaining in plain language how to take it and its possible side effects.
- Pharmacist prescriber
- A pharmacist who has completed additional training that allows them to prescribe medicines.
- Red flag
- A symptom or sign that may point to a serious problem and means the medicine should be stopped and the patient assessed urgently or sent for emergency care.
- 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.
- Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment)
- The legal requirement that care and treatment must be provided in a safe way, including by managing risks to people's health and safety.
- Semaglutide
- A GLP-1 receptor agonist medicine used for weight management and type 2 diabetes.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written, step-by-step instruction setting out how a particular task or process should be carried out consistently.
- Sulfonylurea
- A type of tablet for type 2 diabetes (for example gliclazide) that can cause low blood glucose, especially when combined with a GLP-1 receptor agonist.
- Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)
- The manufacturer's official, regulator-approved document describing how a medicine should be used, including its cautions, contraindications and side effects.
- Tirzepatide
- A medicine that acts on both the GLP-1 and GIP receptors, used for weight management and type 2 diabetes.
- Titration
- Increasing a medicine's dose in planned steps over time so the body can adjust and side effects are reduced.
- Triage
- Quickly sorting patients or symptoms by how urgent they are so the most serious are dealt with first.
- Type 2 diabetes
- A long-term condition where the body cannot properly control blood glucose levels.
- Yellow Card scheme
- The United Kingdom system for reporting suspected side effects of medicines to the medicines regulator, used by both staff and patients.