Services for support
There are a number of services that community pharmacies can offer to support medicines optimisation:
Medicines use reviews
A medicines use review (MUR) is the key service in community pharmacy for supporting people to get the most from their medicines. It enables pharmacists to identify any problems such as dose irregularities, interactions and adverse reactions. MURs also provide the ideal opportunity to support patients who are experiencing adherence problems and need more information about their medicines, as well as those who are having issues understanding or using their medicines, or are having physical problems in taking their medicines.
Seventy per cent of all MURs carried out must fall within the four target groups:
- High risk medicines
- Cardiovascular risk
- Respiratory
- Post-discharge.
The whole pharmacy team can play a role in identifying people who may be eligible for an MUR and explaining the service to them.
New medicine service (NMS)
The NMS supports people with long-term conditions who are newly prescribed a medicine. The service involves a consultation with a patient seven to 14 days after they start a new medicine and again 14-21 days later, to find out if they are still taking it and to answer any questions or concerns they may have.
The NMS focuses on patients prescribed new medicines for conditions including asthma and COPD, type 2 diabetes or hypertension and those newly prescribed antiplatelet/anticoagulant therapy. Pharmacy technicians are ideally placed to identify new medicines being taken and flag this with the pharmacist.
Repeat dispensing
The process of ordering and collecting prescriptions and medicines can prove difficult for some older people. Repeat dispensing can help overcome some of the challenges as it allows patients to collect a supply of their repeat medicines from their community pharmacy over an agreed period of time, without having to go back to their GP each time. If the patient collects their medicines, it provides the pharmacist an opportunity to check whether they are still taking the medicines, and to re-assess adherence, check any problems with medicines and intervene appropriately. This could lead on to an MUR or a recommendation to try the collection and delivery service.