NHS trusts — medicines management

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UK Medicines Information strategy

The UK Medicines Information Pharmacists’ Group (MIPG) and the 16 NHS trust-based regional medicines information centres in England work with both the National Prescribing Centre (NPC) and the NHS Horizon Scanning Centre in terms of the managed entry of new drugs. According to the MIPG’s latest strategy, hospital pharmacists want to branch out of hospital and sell their services directly to PCTs.

Medicines management collaborative

NHS influencers should be aware of the hospital medicines management collaborative, hosted by the NPC, which began in April 2004. See www.npc.co.uk/mms. The collaborative is focusing on the clinical and cost-effective use of medicines in secondary care and the accompanying framework says:

‘Trust chief executives are responsible for the systems for management of medicines within their organisations. Medicines expenditure in England has risen to over £8 billion with just over £1.7 billion spent on medicines in hospitals in 2001-02. SHAs should establish review groups, led by directors of performance management to analyse trust returns and ensure remedial local arrangements are in place ahead of value for money audits which are expected to be undertaken by CHAI <Healthcare Commission> in 2005’.

Some 20 NHS trusts are running with this initiative and it is expected that the collaborative will deliver real health improvements through the best use of medicines. For example, pharmacist-led clinics to help patients with their medicines on admission and post-discharge from hospital; an increase in the involvement of pharmacists and nurses in the use of medicines to ensure that the skills of all staff in the hospital are maximised; and to put in place systems that improve efficiency and reduce waste whilst maintaining patient safety. Each of the 20 participating hospitals will receive £40,000. See DH press release 2004/0121 for the list of participating hospitals.

And note that the NHS is to create the position of consultant pharmacist. A steering group on the implementation of this new role is being led by the chief pharmaceutical officer, project managed by the Leadership Centre. The Healthcare Pharmacists Guild Council will also be represented.