Publication of new Irinotecan dose banding table 20mg/mL and update Caelyx table

Dear Colleague

NHS England and Improvement has published two new/updated dose banding tables on its website.

• A new irinotecan table has been added to sit alongside the current multi-drug 20mg/mL table to support providers who wish to use the new ready-to-use irinotecan infusion bag products. ‘National Dose Banding Table- Irinotecan 20mgml v.1’ https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b02/dose-banded-chemotherapy-standardised-product-specifications/
• In addition, NHSE&I have published an updated pegylated-liposomal doxorubicin table, with a change in the name/description to be compliant with most recent MHRA recommendations. ‘National Dose Banding Table – Pegylated-liposomal Doxorubicin (Caelyx®)’ https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-dose-banding-table-doxorubicin-lip-caelyx-2mgml/

BOPA has been informed that there is a document in development that provides assistance with the implementation of the change to licensed ready-to-administer chemotherapy products. ‘Changing to licensed ready-to-administer chemotherapy from unlicensed products or products prepared under section 10 exemption’ This document has been created as a Yellow Cover Document (YCD) and has had the input from technical services and will be published on the specialist pharmacy service website https://www.sps.nhs.uk/ as soon as it is finalised.