Formulary Committee

Find out about the East Region Formulary Committee, its membership, and constitution

Overview

The East Region Formulary Committee (ERFC) is the medicines governance group responsible for the East Region Formulary (ERF). The ERF is a joint formulary developed between NHS Borders, NHS Fife and NHS Lothian.

The ERFC:

is supported by the East Region Working Group and the Chapter Expert Working Groups;
considers proposed changes, additions and deletions to the Formulary;
reports to NHS Borders, NHS Fife and NHS Lothian’s Area Drug and Therapeutics Committees (ADTCs);
advises on Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) recommendations on new drugs.

The East Region Working Group (ERWG) reviews and co-ordinates the programme of work undertaken by the Chapter Expert Working Groups (CEWGs). As part of this work the ERWG reviews and advises on Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) safety advice. This allows prioritisation of the review of formulary content.

CEWGs are multidisciplinary groups responsible for the review and drafting of the formulary pathways. Each CEWG includes hospital specialists, General Practitioners and pharmacists from each of the three health Boards. Working groups meet and consider current prescribing patterns, clinical evidence, safety, cost effectiveness and patient acceptability when making their recommendations.

Supporting information

Terms of Reference for the three governance groups are available here:

A chart has been prepared to illustrate the East Region Formulary reporting structure. NHS Lothian have also created a chart that provides an overview of the NHS Lothian Medicines Governance Committee Structure.

East Region Formulary Committee membership

Co-chairs

Malcolm Clubb, Director of Pharmacy, NHS Borders
Iain Macintyre, Consultant - Renal, NHS Lothian

Committee Members

Farrah Al-Ghita, Senior Pharmacist - Renal, NHS Fife
Jane Browning, Associate Director of Pharmacy, NHS Lothian
Alison Casey, Senior Pharmacist - Cancer Services, NHS Fife
Dr Grace Ding, Consultant Oncologist, NHS Lothian
Dr Joan Egerton, GP, NHS Fife
Dr Tariq Farrah, Consultant - Renal, NHS Lothian
Dr David Griffith, Consultant Microbiologist, NHS Fife
Carol Holmes, Lead Pharmacist, West Lothian Community Health Partnership, NHS Lothian
Dr Alice Klauser, Consultant Haematologist and Head of Laboratory Haematology, NHS Lothian
Dr Elliot Longworth, GP, NHS Borders
Lesley Macher, Lead Pharmacist Medicines Governance and Guidance, NHS Lothian
Noreen Mohammed, Senior Practice Pharmacist, NHS Fife
Diane Murray, Formulary Pharmacist, NHS Lothian
Dr Paul Neary, Consultant Cardiologist, NHS Borders
Fraser Notman, Senior Pharmacist Medicines Management, NHS Fife
Dr Jo Rose, GP, NHS Lothian
Dr Monica Szabo, Consultant Oncologist, NHS Lothian
Sarah Tait, Lead Advanced Practitioner, NHS Borders
Mandy Wilson, Advanced Cancer Care Pharmacist – Medicines Governance, NHS Lothian

East Region Working Group membership

Chair

Lesley Macher, Lead Pharmacist Medicines Governance and Guidance, NHS Lothian

Committee Members

Farrah Al-Ghita, Senior Pharmacist - Renal, NHS Fife
Jane Browning, Associate Director of Pharmacy, NHS Lothian
Karen Burke, Lead Pharmacist Medical Paediatrics, NHS Lothian
James Dear, Consultant Pharmacologist, NHS Lothian
Dr Joan Egerton, GP, NHS Fife
Dr Nicola Henderson, GP, NHS Borders
Keith Maclure, Lead Pharmacist Medicines Utilisation, NHS Borders
Dr Sally McNeill, GP, NHS Lothian
Diane Murray, Formulary Pharmacist, NHS Lothian
Fraser Notman, Senior Pharmacist Medicines Management, NHS Fife