The UK National Health Service Prescription Services has apologized for mistakenly classifying two versions of the Relvar Ellipta fluticasone/vilanterol DPI under the wrong British National Formulary (BNF) code in its database. The two products involved are 184mcg/22mcg and 92mcg/22mcg dosage strengths of Relvar.
According to the NHS Business Services Authority, Relvar Ellipta was added to the database in December 2013 under BNF Section 0301, Paragraph 030101 Selective Beta 2 Agonists but should have been coded under BNF 0302 Corticosteroids. According to a spokesperson for the BNF, its policy is to reserve section 3.1.1.1 for selective beta 2 agonists only; combination inhalers containing corticosteroids should be listed under section 3.2 and readers are cross-referred to that section.
According to the announcement, the error will be corrected as soon as possible, which will be January 2015; due to the coding error, data for Relvar Ellipta from throughout 2014 will appear in reports under the incorrect heading. The NHS advises that “Users of our information systems should be aware that this will affect all reporting systems, and make necessary adjustments when monitoring inhaled corticosteroids.”
Relvar Ellipta was approved in the EU in November 2013 and launched in the UK in January 2014.
Read the NHS announcement.
