Reminder for GP Colleagues and Pharmacists 

GP colleagues and pharmacists are being reminded to apply caution when prescribing or dispensing two similar sounding medications. Surrey and Borders NHS Partnership Trust (SABP) has highlighted incidents where Promazine, an anti-psychotic medication, and similar sounding promethazine, an antihistamine medication, have been accidentally confused and therefore incorrectly prescribed by clinicians outside of the Trust. The two medications are known as ‘look alike sound alike’ (LASA) medications. As well as having similar sounding names, similarities can also sometimes be compounded by other factors such as similar packaging, tablet appearance and tablet strength.  See here for more information.