TABLE OF CONTENTS


Introduction

Safe prescribing is a shared responsibility across the primary care team. Reports on benzodiazepine use and black triangle medications help identify patients who may need closer review, supporting safer and more informed prescribing decisions. By using these tools effectively, practices can enhance patient safety, reduce risk, and ensure medicines are used appropriately.

 

This support article will explain how to use the tools and features in Ardens Manager to track and monitor the prescribing of high-risk medications. 


Accessing the Prescribing Dashboard

Select the Services icon and click on Prescribing.
 
 
Click on the Activity tab. 
 


The reports are divided into two categories:
  • Prescribing - This section provides reports on the prescribing of Benzodiazepines and Black Triangle medications.
  • Register - This section displays a register of patients who are on any repeat medication, excluding those provided by hospitals.

 

Check the Patient Count column to see the number of patients in each report.

 

 
To identify the patients, click on View. 

 

 

Click on the Patients tab. 
 
You can copy the patient's NHS number to review their record or export the full list of patients for further action. To learn more about managing the patient list, view this support article.
 
Your data can be viewed through Code Breakdown, which helps prioritise tasks by focusing on medications by group and dose. To access the code breakdown, click on the Benchmark tab, then toggle View Codes.
 
 
The code breakdown is color-coded to visually represent the features and tools. This helps illustrate the volume of each drug group in relation to the report.

 

 

 

You can further identify the individual drugs/dosages that patients are on by clicking on the chevron icon next to the drug group.

 

 

To view the breakdown or patient list for a specific drug group, click on the medication name or its color. This action will update all data on the page, including demographics and the patient list.

 


Next Steps

With the insights gained from the dashboard, you may wish to consider the following actions to enhance the management of these medications:
  • Review Patients on High-Risk Medications: Prioritise reviews for those on long-term benzodiazepines or black triangle drugs.
  • Conduct Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs): Use clinical pharmacists or prescribers to assess ongoing need and safety.
  • Discuss Findings as a Team: Share report outcomes in practice meetings to support collaborative decision-making.
  • Monitor Progress Through Audit: Track changes over time to measure impact and guide quality improvement.


Additional Resources

Explore the range of Ardens resources we have available for use in your clinical system to support you with Drug Monitoring:

 

 

If you require any further assistance on the process above, please contact the Ardens Manager Support Team on: support-manager@ardens.org.uk