Zopiclone
Indication
Short term management of insomnia (NICE TA77)
The colour classification was determined as part of the collaborative work between LCFT and medicines Management leads. Local pathways and patient safety were taken into consideration.
Brand:
Nice TA:
77
Commissioning responsibility:
CCG
PbR excluded:
No
Background
For short term use only, if started in hospital not to be continued at discharge. NICE recommends that prescribers should consider using non-medicine treatments, and then, if they think that a hypnotic medicine is the appropriate way to treat severe insomnia that is interfering with normal daily life, they should prescribe one for only short periods of time and strictly according to the licence for the drug. Because there is no firm evidence of differences in the effects of 'Z' drugs, NICE recommends that doctors should prescribe the cheapest drug, taking into account the daily dose required and the cost for each dose. Treatment should only be changed from one of these hypnotics to another if side effects occur that are directly related to the medicine. If treatment with one of these hypnotic medicines does not work, the doctor should not prescribe one of the others. Purchase prices may vary, please refer to local organisational formularies to establish hypnotic of choice.
Recommendation
LSCMMG Recommendation:
Green
Reason for decision:
Suitable for initiation in primary care