Services Database Medicines Support Service

This service should be offered when:

• the patient approaches the pharmacy directly for assistance;
• the pharmacy team becomes aware that the person is having difficulty with their medicines; or
• the pharmacy team receive a part-completed Medicines Support Service referral form (or the pharmacy team are thinking about making a referral).

The member of staff should establish the following:

• Does the patient have a disability (a long-term impairment) which causes a substantial and adverse effect on their ability to take their medication?
• Is the patient able to come for assessment or can you ascertain their needs over the telephone?
• Is the reasonable adjustment being made for the patient (rather than a carer)?

If the answer is yes to all three questions then an Equality Act (EA) assessment should be completed and adjustments made, for example, supplying a multicompartment compliance aid (MCA), providing large print labels, medicines reminder chart, etc . If any of the questions are answered with no, then alternatives sources of assistance should be considered.

If after an EA assessment is done and the patient is still having issues after the adjustments have been made, they can be referred to the Norfolk Medicines Support Service using the referral form. A separate referral form is used for medication administration record (MAR) chart requests. 

Patients will then have an assessment, generally in their own home, and a discussion will be held about medication use and the problems they are having. Interventions will then be suggested to combat the issues.

Not known