Miconazole nitrate

Context

Pharmacy First

This codelist is intended for use in Pharmacy First analyses to capture prescribing of miconazole-containing antifungal formulations used in the management of superficial fungal infections (vulvovaginal candidiasis).

Inclusion/exclusion criteria

We included miconazole-containing topical antifungal formulations, specifically creams and pessaries, used in the treatment of skin and vaginal fungal infections in primary care. These formulations represent standard monotherapy antifungal treatments within routine prescribing practice.

We excluded combination products containing corticosteroids, including miconazole 2% / fluprednidene 0.1% cream and hydrocortisone 1% / miconazole 2% cream or ointment. These were excluded to ensure the codelist captures antifungal monotherapy only and avoids inclusion of steroid-containing preparations, which may reflect different clinical indications, severity, and prescribing intent. We also excluded : -Miconazole 2% powder (VMP) (36566211000001106) -Daktarin 2% powder (McNeil Products Ltd) (AMP) (3779411000001103) -Daktarin Aktiv 2% powder (McNeil Products Ltd) (AMP) (3779611000001100) - Miconazole 50mg muco-adhesive buccal tablets sugar free (VMP) 13533111000001108 and Loramyc 50mg muco-adhesive buccal tablets (Laboratoires BioAlliance Pharma) (AMP) 13505811000001106 as there are for oro-pharyngal candidiasis. - oromucosal gels and buccal tablets as these are for oral thrush -Miconazole 0.16% dry powder spray and Miconazole 2% powder as these are for athlete’s foot Other non-relevant formulations such as eye drops and powders were also excluded where not aligned with the intended topical or vaginal antifungal use within Pharmacy First context.

Borderline cases

No major borderline cases were retained in the final codelist. However, corticosteroid combination products were considered during codelist development because they contain miconazole but were excluded due to the addition of anti-inflammatory agents, which significantly alters their therapeutic classification and intended use.

Sensitivity vs specificity

This codelist is specific, aiming to capture miconazole monotherapy prescribing only. Combination products containing corticosteroids were excluded to maintain specificity and avoid conflation with more complex dermatological preparations.

Additional information

The codelist is structured using the dm+d hierarchy (VTM → VMP) to ensure consistency and reproducibility in prescribing data extraction.