NSW Therapeutic Advisory Group

COVID-19 Resources

Medicines Use in the treatment of COVID-19

  • As evidence emerges from clinical trials, recommendations regarding the use of some disease-modifying medicines in COVID-19 can now be made, while the use of other disease-modifying medicines remains best limited to a clinical trial setting. Recommendations can also be made where the use of some medicines should not occur. The Australian Living Guidelines for the clinical care of people with COVID-19, is the nationally recognised source for specific, patient-focused recommendations on management and care of people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. NSW TAG has developed the following supporting documents to assist clinicians and patients/carers if the medicines are used for patients with COVID-19 being managed by a hospital.

By downloading any document from this webpage, you agree that you have read, accepted and agreed to the Terms and Conditions (see below). If you do not agree with these terms and conditions, do not download.

  • Patient leaflets and consent forms have an allocated field in the header to insert the name of the hospital/local health district when they have been approved for use.

  • 1. Patient and Family Information Leaflets

  • 2. Consent Forms

    Informed consent (preferably written) should be obtained for the use of medicines to treat COVID-19, especially those that are unregistered or used in an off-label manner. The consent should be documented in the patient’s Health Record, including when verbal informed consent is obtained. The Doctors Declaration section in the below consent forms can be copied and pasted to assist documentation in the electronic medical record if verbal informed consent is obtained. The NSW TAG Checklist for Written Consent: Unregistered/Off-label Use of Medicines may assist and is available here.

    Further information regarding consent for using COVID-19 medicines can be found here.

    To assist in reducing the risk of cross contamination during the process of obtaining written consent from a patient with COVID-19, Hand Hygiene should be performed before/after contact with the consent form (patient and healthcare worker) and any pens/accessories used should be cleaned. A local process should be implemented to manage the consent form process involving the patient and some possible options include:

    1. Obtaining a digital photo version of the signed consent form and emailing to the appropriate staff member for upload into the patients’ Health Record. (Ensure photo provides clear image of signatures).
    2. Sealing the consent form in a plastic bag and quarantining until potential contamination by SARS-CoV-2 is no longer suspected. The original can then be filed in the patient’s Health Record.
    3. If verbal informed consent obtained, there are various options for inclusion into the electronic medical records application e.g. free text typing by the prescriber or uploading a voice recording of the prescriber advising the patient about the medicine and its potential benefits and harms.

    Further guidance is available in the Consent to Medical and Healthcare Treatment Manual, particularly Section 4.

  • 3. Summary Guidances for Pharmacological Management of Hospitalised Patients with COVID-19

    From mid October 2021, further resources not being developed by NSW TAG – see ‘Additional information’ section below.

    • Adults (excluding pregnant or breastfeeding women) – Summary Guidance V1.2 (25 Nov 2021) – now archived
    • Pregnant or breastfeeding women – Summary Guidance V1.2 (11 Nov 2021) – now archived
    • Children or adolescents – Summary Guidance V1 (13 Aug 2021) – now archived

     

  • 4. Drug Guidelines

    • Remdesivir – Drug guideline – latest version available here
    • Dexamethasone – Drug guideline – Version 1.4 (13 Apr 2021) [Download PDF]
    • Tocilizumab – Drug guideline – latest version available here
    • Sarilumab – Drug guideline – latest version available here
    • Baricitinib – Drug guideline – latest version available here
    • Sotrovimab – Drug guideline – latest version available here
    • From mid October 2021, further resources for other therapeutics for COVID-19 were not developed by NSW TAG – see ‘Additional information’ section below.

  • 5. Prescribing Declaration/IPU Forms and Outcome Reporting Forms

    Prescribing Declaration/IPU and outcome reporting should occur as per local governance processes.

    A NSW TAG drug registry using online reporting processes is available for NSW Health and affiliated hospitals. NSW Health affiliated hospital DTC representatives have been given access to the online QARS based forms to implement locally. An instructions guide for QARS is available here for the online process (step by step with screenshots of what to click). Email nswtag@stvincents.com.au if you have any queries.

    A template is available for DTCs to record COVID-19 IPU Applications and Decisions [Download Excel]

    See CEC Medication Safety Updates webpage for information regarding access to COVID-19 medicines.

  • Key Guidance

    • NSW Health Clinical guidance and resources available here
    • National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce Living Guidelines – link

  • Terms and Conditions of Use

    By downloading any document from this webpage, you agree that you have read, accepted and agreed to the following Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree with these terms and conditions, do not download.

    1. The documents require endorsement by the local Drug and Therapeutics Committee prior to implementation in the hospital/district/network.
    2. The downloaded document will only be used in the care of patients with COVID-19 being managed by a hospital.
    3. The document user will periodically check for updated documents.
    4. For the reasons stated above, the documents themselves should not be placed on the intranet of a hospital/district/network. A hyperlink to this webpage may be provided on the hospital intranet page.
    5. The Work on this webpage and the documents downloaded via this webpage are copyright and remain the property of NSW Therapeutic Advisory Group Inc and State of New South Wales (NSW Health), funded by NSW Health. No document can be modified without the written permission of the NSW Therapeutic Advisory Group Inc and the State of New South Wales (NSW Health).

    Any enquiries in regards to copyright, sharing the copyright Works, or requests for further authorisations should be directed in writing to Dr Sasha Bennett at nswtag@stvincents.com.au and the relevant contact at the Clinical Excellence Commission (cec-corpgov@health.nsw.gov.au).

  • Additional Information

    • The CEC has taken over the responsibility for managing the NSW Drug and Therapeutics Advisory Community of Practice (DaTA-CoP) and developing resources for COVID- 19 medicines since mid-October 2021. Contact CEC-Therapeutics@health.nsw.gov.au for further information.
    • Terms and Conditions, updated 16/11/2021 [Download PDF]
    • Acknowledgements
      • Translated documents: NSW TAG acknowledges the NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service, the NSW Ministry of Health and the pharmacists who assisted.
      • Other COVID-19 resources: NSW TAG acknowledges members of the NSW DaTA CoP.
    • Summary of process for development of COVID-19 resources – here
    • Visit our COVID-19 homepage

Page last updated 5 March 2023

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