Community pharmacy discharge medicines service activity as recorded in PharmOutcomes: a retrospective exploration and analysis.

Objectives: Transition of care when a patient moves between healthcare locations is a risk factor for medication errors and medicines-related preventable harm. The aims of this retrospective service evaluation were to understand, by classifying and quantifying, the nature of interventions made by community pharmacy when receiving a discharge medicines service referral from a secondary care hospital, with a focus on two groups of high-risk medicines supplied at discharge-oral anticoagulants and weak opioids following hip or knee surgery.

Methods: Records made on the PharmOutcomes™ platform by community pharmacists in response to referral for the NHS England discharge medicines service were analysed and summarized.

OpenSAFELY NHS Service Restoration Observatory 2: changes in primary care clinical activity in England during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare activity across a broad range of clinical services. The NHS stopped non-urgent work in March 2020, later recommending services be restored to near-normal levels before winter where possible.

Aim: To describe changes in the volume and variation of coded clinical activity in general practice across six clinical areas: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health, female and reproductive health, screening and related procedures, and processes related to medication.

CATALYST: challenging antibiotic allergy status.

Objectives: To develop a transferable process, CATALYST (challenging antibiotic allergystatus), to assess and challenge penicillin allergy status of inpatients within an NHS Foundation Hospital.

Methods: A multidisciplinary team (MDT) steering group reviewed existing literature and protocols enabling penicillin allergy assessment, challenge and de-labelling. Using this, they identified five key steps forming the basis of CATALYST: clinical assessment of the nature of allergy; inclusion/exclusion criteria; consent; direct oral penicillin challenge; and removal of allergy label.

Cluster randomised control trial protocol for estimating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a complex intervention to increase care home staff influenza vaccination rates compared to usual practice (FLUCARE).

The care home staff influenza vaccination rate in England is significantly lower than the 75% World Health Organisation recommendation. This represents a substantial potential for resident harm. Barriers to staff vaccination stem from individual and organisational levels.

Barriers and enablers to pharmacists' involvement in a novel immunisation programme.

Aim: Pharmacists are involved in immunisation programmes for a variety of diseases. However, some patient populations may be considered at high risk of complications from vaccination and are excluded from these programmes. The study aimed to explore pharmacists' roles in a vaccination programme to identify factors that influence their involvement.

How Do Pharmacists Practice in Aged Care? A Narrative Review of Models from Australia, England, and the United States of America.

Medication management in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) is complex and often sub-optimal. Pharmacist practice models and services have emerged internationally to address medication-related issues in RACFs. This narrative review aimed to explore pharmacist practice models in aged care in Australia, England and the USA, and identify key activities and characteristics within each model.

Exploring an extended role for pharmacy assistants on inpatient wards in UK hospitals: using mixed methods to develop the role of medicines assistants.

Objectives: This project explored the deployment of pharmacy assistants to inpatient wards in a new role as 'medicines assistants' (MA).

Methods: Ward-based MAs were introduced to six wards across two UK hospitals to support medicines administration. Each 30-bed ward delivered acute inpatient services with MAs supporting typical nursing medication administration rounds to 15 patients.

Exploring the use of WhatsApp in out-of-hours pharmacy services: A multi-site qualitative study.

Background: WhatsApp is an instant messaging application that has grown in popularity over the last decade. The literature has focused on the use of WhatsApp in medical, surgical and nursing disciplines, with little work exploring pharmacists' experiences of using WhatsApp to provide services.

Objective(s): The aim of this research was to explore pharmacists' experiences of using WhatsApp to support delivery of out-of-hours pharmacy services.

The Foundation Pharmacist Project: exploring new models of dual-sector postgraduate pharmacy training.

Objectives: To explore the experiences of primary care-based professional stakeholders in a dual-sector training programme for foundation pharmacists.

Methods: Professional stakeholders were defined as foundation pharmacists or members of staff working with foundation pharmacists such as general medical or nurse practitioners and administrative staff. Stakeholders were invited to participate via email and through gatekeepers.

Impact of medication review, within a shared decision-making framework, on deprescribing in people living in care homes.

Objectives: The key objectives of this study were to quantify extent of prescribing, reasons for deprescribing, common therapeutic groups of medicines deprescribed and adverse events.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out on a quality improvement project where 422 care home residents in 20 care homes received a medicines optimisation review with a pharmacist and other members of the healthcare team (general medical practitioner, care home nurse). Data on number, type and cost of medicines were collected.

Pharmacist independent prescribing in secondary care: opportunities and challenges.

In recent years a number of countries have extended prescribing rights to pharmacists in a variety of formats. The latter includes independent prescribing, which is a developing area of practice for pharmacists in secondary care. Potential opportunities presented by wide scale implementation of pharmacist prescribing in secondary care include improved prescribing safety, more efficient pharmacist medication reviews, increased scope of practice with greater pharmacist integration into acute patient care pathways and enhanced professional or job satisfaction.

Reducing unacceptable missed doses: pharmacy assistant-supported medicine administration.

Objectives: The potential harm from omitted and delayed medicines for hospital inpatients was highlighted by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA). Despite evidence of omitted doses, few interventional studies have been reported on preventing the problem. This study aimed to assess the impact on omitted doses when medicine administration was supported by pharmacy assistants (PAs).

A clinico-ethical framework for multidisciplinary review of medication in nursing homes.

Residents in care homes are more likely to be prescribed multiple medicines yet often have little involvement in these prescribing decisions. Reviewing and stopping inappropriate medicines is not currently adopted across the health economy. This Health Foundation funded Shine project developed a pragmatic approach to optimising medicines in care homes while involving all residents in decision making.

Patients with advanced lung cancer: is there scope to discontinue inappropriate medication?

Background: Polypharmacy-taking five or medications per day-is common in lung cancer patients. This patient group is prescribed medication to control acute symptoms associated with cancer and also to prevent or treat other long-term conditions. These medications increase the pill burden for the patient and also the probability of developing a drug-related toxicity.

Disclosure and adverse effects of complementary and alternative medicine used by hospitalized patients in the North East of England.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, disclosure and adverse effects of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in hospitalised patients, and to explore the associations between patients' perceived side-effects and relevant factors.

Methods: Patients who were admitted to a district general hospital and met the eligibility criteria were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Their medications and pertinent details were verified from the medical notes.

Are sugars-free medicines more erosive than sugars-containing medicines? An in vitro study of paediatric medicines with prolonged oral clearance used regularly and long-term by children.

Objective: The reduced use of sugars-containing (SC) liquid medicines has increased the use of other dose forms, potentially resulting in more widespread dental effects, including tooth wear. The aim of this study was to assess the erosive potential of 97 paediatric medicines in vitro.

Methods: The study took the form of in vitro measurement of endogenous pH and titratable acidity (mmol).