Services Database The Parkinson’s MUR Project

The aim of this project is to establish a structured Parkinson’s medicines review based on the MUR framework that would focus on three main aims:

• to ensure that people with Parkinson’s are getting the maximum benefit from the medications that they are taking;
• to advise and support patients around issues related to their Parkinson’s such as non-motor symptoms (eg constipation, pain) that could be appropriately treated by a pharmacist; and
• to ensure that those identified as requiring intervention from Parkinson’s specialists receive it in a timely manner according to their needs.

The ambition is that MURs for people with Parkinson’s are established and encouraged to be a locally-determined priority by community pharmacists.

Phase one 

In the pilot study’s initial phase in 2015, over two months eight pharmacists conducted 32 Parkinson's-specific MURs across eight different pharmacies in North West London and collected data, including pharmacist and patient feedback. These responses were scored and stratified to determine whether the person required urgent review by their specialist. The positive feedback has prompted a second trial phase with at least 150 MURs being undertaken by 50 pharmacists.

The MUR itself included prompt supplementary questions that specifically focused on medication issues that could be pertinent in Parkinson’s. In addition, patients were asked to provide feedback on the service both immediately afterwards and after around 8 weeks to ascertain how useful they found the MUR process.

Following a presentation at the Pharmacy Show (September 2016) additional pharmacists from outside North West London were recruited for the next phase.

Phase two 

Phase two activities involve:

• participating in the self-directed online training and the webinar (only those who complete this will get the MUR toolkit of resources);
• performing Parkinson’s specific MURs in accordance with the project protocol;
• collecting feedback from patients at required times;
• completing all data collation and timely submission in accordance with the project protocol; and
• participating in post-project communication activities (optional but desirable).

Please note, this is not a commissioned service.

The pharmacists in this first phase were supported with training about Parkinson’s, access to a standardised protocol and documentation, and details about the information and support services offered by Parkinson’s UK to which patients could be signposted. It is envisaged that the second phase will follow a similar overall structure.