MEP: Pharmaceutical care

Question 1

Pharmaceutical care definition:

Answer 1

“the responsible provision of
drug therapy for the purpose of achieving definite outcomes that improve a patient’s quality of life”.

Since the 1990’s the definition has developed further and rather than being focussed on processes, systems, now focusses on patient outcomes

Question 2

Primary Care Network Europe (PCNE) pharmaceutical care definition:

Answer 2

“the pharmacist’s contribution in the care

of individuals in order to optimise medicines and improve health outcomes”

Question 3

Key components of pharmaceutical care are:

Answer 3

• The patient assessment to identify unmet pharmaceutical care needs and issues
• The development of a pharmaceutical care plan to document the needs identified
• To agree patient outcomes, the actions required or taken and the follow-up required.

Question 4

In practice, the assessment will identify any pharmaceutical care issues with concordance and sets out to establish within the available information:

Answer 4

• If the drug therapy and dose is appropriate for the condition in this patient
• If any additional therapy (drug and non-pharmacological) is required
• If the drug therapy and dose is safe
• If the person is suffering from any avoidable side
effects
• If the drug therapy, dose and non-pharmacological therapy are effective and achieving a defined desired outcome.

Question 5

What is medicines optimisation:

Answer 5

Medicines optimisation looks at how people use medicines and acknowledges that the way people use medicines over time may change. It may involve stopping some medicines as well as starting others and considers opportunities for lifestyle changes and non-medical therapies to reduce the need for medicines

Question 6

What is the goal of medicines optimisation:

Answer 6

The goal is to help patients to:
• Improve their outcomes
• Take their medicines correctly
• Improve adherence
• Avoid taking unnecessary medicines
• Reduce wastage of medicines
• Improve medicines and patient safety.

Question 7

FOUR PRINCIPLES OF MEDICINES OPTIMISATION:

Answer 7

PRINCIPLE 1: AIM TO UNDERSTAND THE PATIENT’S EXPERIENCE

PRINCIPLE 2: EVIDENCE-BASED CHOICE OF MEDICINES

PRINCIPLE 3: ENSURE MEDICINES USE IS AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE

PRINCIPLE 4: MAKE MEDICINES OPTIMISATION PART OF ROUTINE PRACTICE

Question 8

What is medicines reconciliation:

Answer 8

Medicines reconciliation is the process of identifying an accurate list of a patient’s current medicines (including over-the-counter and complementary medicines) and carrying out a comparison of these with the current list in use, recognising any discrepancies, and documenting any changes.

Question 9

NICE definition of a medication review:

Answer 9

‘a critical examination of a person’s medicines with the objective of reaching an agreement with the person about treatment, optimising the impact of medicines, minimising the number of medication related problems and reducing waste.’