| Red: Medicines which should only be prescribed in secondary care by a specialist. |
| Amber Continuation: Medicines which should be initiated or recommended by a specialist for continuation in primary care. The specialist must notify the GP that the prescribing responsibility has been transferred. |
| Amber Shared Care Protocol: Medicines which are appropriate to be initiated and stabilised by a specialist, once stabilised the medicine may be appropriate for responsibility to be transferred from secondary to primary care with the agreement of a GP and a formal ‘shared care’ agreement. The shared care protocol must be approved by the Area Prescribing Committee Oxfordshire (APCO). |
| Green: Medicines which are suitable for initiation and ongoing prescribing within primary care. |
| Brown: Medicines which should only be prescribed in restricted circumstances. |
| Black: Medicines which are not recommended for use because of lack of evidence of clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness or safety. |
