What is the Traffic Light Scheme (TLS)?
The Traffic Light Scheme provides a framework for defining where clinical and therefore prescribing responsibility should lie through categorisation of individual drugs. The TLS is about clinical responsibility and competency and not about the cost of medicines.
The traffic light definitions (revised in October 2010) appear below. The list is advisory only but its existence should clarify expectations of prescribing responsibility.
Red
For specialist use in secondary care or by competent clinician only
Amber
Drugs which are considered appropriate for responsibility to be transferred from the specialist to primary care with the agreement of a GP and a ‘shared care’ guideline.
- Initiation, prescribing and monitoring until the drug is stabilised is the responsibility of the specialist.
- The specialist will request for the GP to take part in ongoing prescribing and associated clinical responsibility according to the shared care guideline (where one is available).
- The GP will respond to the specialist and there will be ongoing communication between primary and secondary care.
Links to approved ‘shared care guidelines’ are available within the formulary sections.
Green
Drugs are appropriate for prescribing in primary and secondary care and within the competencies of the prescriber.
Not recommended: drugs which are not appropriate for prescribing by primary or secondary care due to lack of good clinical evidence, because of concerns over safety or due to the availability of more suitable cost-effective alternatives. This list will be reviewed regularly. Clinicians should not prescribe these drugs. All new black triangle ▼ drugs which have not been requested or formally assessed should not be prescribed until this has been done.
The following link is the most up-to-date list for the Traffic Light Scheme
