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Under evaluation with potential for adoption
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Refer-to-Pharmacy: electronic system

By Jackie Jones, Innovation Agency NWC Added 24th Jun, 2016 Updated 23rd Jul, 2019

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Refer-to-Pharmacy is an electronic referral system allowing pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to refer people from the hospital bedside to their community pharmacist for post-hospital discharge support with medication. The system provides the pharmacist with information to arrange a New Medicine Service (NMS) or Discharge Medication Review and ensure patient records are up-to-date.

The NMS and Discharge Medication Reviews are medicines adherence services commissioned nationally in England. Research has shown they improve medicines adherence and patient outcomes. The New Medicine Service, where community pharmacist and patient have three consultations within the first month of starting medicines for long-term conditions, has shown a 10% increased adherence to medication regimens. Discharge Medication Reviews, where pharmacist and patient have a consultation around changes to medicines made in hospital, also demonstrate improvements. A recent evaluation in Wales found that for every £1million spent delivering these reviews £3million was freed up due to avoided A&E attendances, hospital admissions and drug wastage.

Successfully deployed in East Lancashire, the desire is to spread Refer-to-Pharmacy to other health economies. Refer-to-Pharmacy can be tailored to local health demands.

Refer-to-Pharmacy has been awarded the Health Service Journal's 2016 Patient Safety Award 

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