Retinal screening for patients on Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) (2019)

Sheffield CCG

Project Summary

This project aims to improve patient safety by ensuring that all patients prescribed hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in Sheffield have new retinal screening actioned at baseline (i.e. within 12 months of starting treatment), after 5 years and annually thereafter.

The main outcomes were:

• Agreed a local shared care guideline for HCQ which was ratified at the Sheffield Area Prescribing Group, which has representatives from the CCG, provider trust, Healthwatch, the public and LMC.
• The records of patients from 80 GP practices in Sheffield were reviewed, with,
  1316 patients identified as taking HCQ
• 73 of these patients were identified as no longer being under annual follow up and
• 77 patients had their dose reduced, following review by the MOT