NMS myth busting series (#5)
This is the fifth of a series of articles to tackle some of the misconceptions around the New Medicine Service (NMS). The articles will cover a variety of aspects of NMS and aims to myth bust, to increase understanding of the service.
Myth: I don’t need to obtain patient consent each time a patient is signed up for the NMS.
Wrong! Patient consent needs to be obtained every time a patient is signed up for the NMS.
Myth: NMS can only be provided to patients registered with a GP practice.
Wrong! The service can be provided to patients who are not registered with a GP practice. In this instance the pharmacy staff should recommend that the patient registers with a GP practice and advise them on how they can do this. The pharmacist must make their best endeavours to ensure that any clinically relevant information following the consultation(s) is fed back to the prescriber of the new medicine(s). This should also be recorded in the patient’s clinical record.
Myth: If a patient gets a new medicine dispensed at a pharmacy that does not offer NMS, but then requests the service from another pharmacy, the second pharmacy can provide the service.
Wrong! Only the pharmacy that dispenses the new medicine can provide the NMS.
Myth: The patient must have been using the pharmacy for a certain period for them to be eligible to receive the service.
Wrong! The patient does not have to have been using the pharmacy for a certain period for them to be eligible for NMS.
