Pharmacy support for Care Homes
Pharmacists practice in a variety of areas including Community Pharmacy, Primary Care Pharmacy and Hospital Pharmacy. Each area has a different role to play in supporting Care Home.
Community Pharmacy support
The future plan is that a Service Level Agreement (SLA) will be in place for all Community Pharmacies providing a service to Care Homes. It will define the roles and responsibilities of the Community Pharmacy team so that appropriate systems and processes are established to ensure safe and effective medicines management within the Care Home. The SLA will include processes for ordering, storage, compliance, record keeping, administration and disposal of medicines and appliances. It will also detail a commitment to medicine waste reduction
Commitment to an annual audit will also be detailed in the SLA.
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Pharmacy First
In July 2020, a new service offering consultations and advice for minor illnesses was launched in all community pharmacies across Scotland. For the first time, this is open to those living in care homes and will require care home and pharmacy teams to work closely together in new ways to support residents. The link below provides a guidance sheet which gives a broad overview of how NHS Pharmacy First Scotland will work in the care home setting and what you need to do to access the service. Please also speak with your community pharmacy team(s) to agree further details on how you will work together.
Primary Care Pharmacy support
Education and Training
Training material prepared by the primary care pharmacy team includes a narrated presentation and accompanying workbook. This training resource covers:
- an introduction to medicines
- how to support people taking medication
- how to administer different forms of medication and how to record this.
- medication in older people and compliance aids.
Medication review:
Too many care home residents are not getting the best from their medicines or are taking medicines which are doing them more harm than good and may be reducing their quality of life.
Primary care pharmacists, working in GP practices, are well placed to carry out a comprehensive medication review, if required, for residents. Pharmacists are experts in medicines and working with the GP and the practice based team, they can ensure care home residents receive the right medicines at the right time and in the right way to maximise the benefits of the medication.
For further information on the primary care pharmacy care home service provided please click here
Care home residents requiring a medication review should be referred to the Primary Care Pharmacy Team. Click here for information on the referral process.
Hospital Pharmacy
Hospital pharmacists will support care home residents, when required, on admission to hospital, ensuring an accurate medication history is available to the hospital team. On discharge, a discharge letter and changes to medication will be communicated to the GP via Trak letter. The hospital pharmacy team can be contacted for any queries/ clarification should this be required.
Strong communication links exist between all three areas of the pharmacy profession to help support the seamless transition from Care Home to Hospital and back to the Care Home.
Other useful pharmacy educational links to medicines management:
Lothian Joint Formulary provides useful up to date prescribing guidance on cost effective treatment for all conditions
Managing Multiple Medicines – this combined mobile app and website aims to support healthcare professionals, patients and carers to make shared decisions and medicines based on the Scottish Government’s Polypharmacy Guidance Realistic Prescribing (2018, 3rd edition)
The National Care Home Medicine Resource Pack is available on Turas once logged in.
Further information
For information on information relating to Care Homes and pharmacy referral processes and education please see the following webpages.
Pharmacy: Referral Pathway
Pharmacy: Education – Medicines Management
