Post-discharge NMS and MURs offer community pharmacy the opportunity to become an integral part of the patient’s pathway between secondary and primary care. If they can be shown to aid adherence, reduce waste and encourage patient participation in their own care, they will have a promising future.

Reflection exercise

• Which hospitals/wards might you need to develop a relationship with in order to receive more referrals for patients with long-term conditions appropriate for post-discharge NMS?
• What do you need to know about a patient’s admission and hospital stay for your pharmacist to undertake a discharge MUR?

Record your learning

Once you have read this article, use the following CPD questions to help you reflect on what you have learned and how it might affect your everyday work. Remember to record your learning on the GPhC website if you are registered (www.uptodate.org.uk). Otherwise, it is good practice to record it in your ongoing learning and development folder.

• What did I learn that was new? (Evaluate)
• How have I put this into practice? (Provide examples of how learning has been applied.) (Evaluate)
• Do I need to learn anything else in this area? (Reflect)