national-clinical-guidelines-for-stroke-fourth-edition

National clinical guideline for stroke
1.10 Cost of stroke care
Although implementation of this guideline may have cost implications, this document
does not undertake a full cost-benefit analysis. Where we recognise that
recommendations have significant resource implications, we have suggested that this
needs to be considered locally.
1.11 Licensing of drugs
Recommendations about the use of specific drugs do not take into account whether the
drug is licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
for that particular use. It is up to the individual physician and their trust to decide
whether to permit the unlicensed use of drugs in their formulary.
There are many situations where it may be appropriate to use medication which has not
been licensed for specific situations (eg aspirin in acute ischaemic stroke). There are
others where the rules of the licence are so strong that if broken it may result in the use
of the therapy being legally withdrawn or funding discontinued if NICE guidance
restricts its use.
1.12 Updating the guideline
It is recognised that research evidence changes continuously. The ICSWP will be
reviewing the evidence on an ongoing basis. It is anticipated that a full review and fifth
edition will be developed for 2016.
1.13 Funding and conflicts of interest
The guideline was developed as part of the Stroke Programme at the Clinical
Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit, RCP. Funding for the programme was provided by a
consortium from the Royal College of Physicians Trust Fund, the British Association of
Stroke Physicians and the Stroke Association. Competing interests of the working party
members were fully declared.
10 © Royal College of Physicians 2012