Working together with the Health Innovation Network Polypharmacy Programme, Health Innovation Wessex is supporting six primary care networks to help seldom heard communities access structured medication reviews (SMRs).
This project builds on work completed across the Health Innovation Network to use evidence-based materials to invite and support patients to get the most from their SMR. The project has focussed on patients living in more deprived areas where studies in Nottingham and Manchester have started to show some important improvements.
Over one million people in England take 10 or more medicines for their long-term conditions.
As patients live longer with multiple long-term conditions, physiological reserves to cope with taking so many medicines are reduced. What might have been an appropriate medicine in our 50s may be putting us at risk from harm in our 80s.
Work from Scotland, Ireland and in the UK has demonstrated savings not only in the drugs budget (from stopping inappropriate prescribing) but also in wider healthcare utility costs.
However, it is important that patients understand the SMR and its purpose. Evidence has shown that we need to do more to support patients to understand and make the most of their SMR.
To find out more about our Polypharmacy work or for any enquiries please email medicines.optimisation@hiwessex.net or use our general enquiries contact page.
