Resources for healthcare professionals

Several resources and strategies are now becoming established, including:

  • guidelines for medicine administration to patients with swallowing difficulties46 47 and enteral feeding tubes33 47 48
  • healthcare professional handbook9
  • a dedicated website - www.swallowingdifficulties.com
  • simple discharge letters49

Prior to the responsibility for patient safety transferring to the NHS Commissioning Board Special Health Authority, the National Patient Safety Agency undertook a programme to raise awareness of the risks associated with dysphagia management – particularly for adults with learning disabilities – highlighting best practice and providing resource materials to give practical help32. (These materials are still available at the NPSA website).

Find alternatives to
solid dose medications

Type the name of your medication into the search box above.

Resources

  • The NEWT Guidelines
  • Consensus guideline on the medication management of adults with swallowing difficulties.
  • British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN)

    Administering drugs via enteral feeding tubes - A practical guide.

    Tube feeding and your medicines – A guide for patients and carers

    Drug administration via enteral feeding tubes - A guide for general practitioners and community pharmacists
  • Swallowing difficulties protocol: medication administration
  • Handbook of drug administration via enteral feeding tubes
  • Prescribing medicines for patients with dysphagia. A handbook for healthcare professionals.
  • Therapeutic options for patients unable to take solid oral dosage forms (UKMI)
  • Ensuring safer practice for adults with learning disabilities who have dysphagia – NPSA
  • Free online course - Swallowing difficulties and medicines. University of East Anglia and Future Learn.
  • Survey of medicines related care of residents with dysphagia in care homes – Patients Association