Research
carried out by Medicines Partnership
has shown that patients can only get the most out of
medication review if they know why they are coming,
what to expect, and how to prepare.
Medicines
Partnership has developed two booklets which meet
this need.
Focus On Your Medicines - A Patient Guide to Medication
Review
'Focus
on your Medicines', an 8 page colour A5-size guide
to medication review was published by Medicines
Partnership in March 2004. The guide has
been produced with the assistance of an advisory
group including Arthritis Care, Age Concern, Diabetes
UK, the Parkinson's Disease Society, Epilepsy
Action, the Department of Health, and has also
been extensively tested with patients.
The guide is targeted at two groups
of patients:
- Those who have been invited for a
medication review and would like to find out more
about it in order to prepare.
- Those who would be eligible for,
and benefit from, a medication review, but have not
yet been invited, to encourage them to request a review.
This includes the many older people on long term medicines,
as well as younger people with chronic conditions
such as epilepsy, schizophrenia and diabetes.
The guide provides important information
which patients need to know about Medication Review,
as well as helping them to prepare for a review. The
guide covers the following topics:
- What is a 'medication review'?
- Is it for you?
- Who will you talk to?
- What will you talk about?
- How do you ask for one?
- How should you prepare?
- What happens afterwards?
- Questions to ask
Space is included for patients to write
down their comments and questions prior to a review,
and the centre pages form a complete record of current
medications.
Focus On Your Medicines is no
longer available to order. You
can view Focus on Your Medicines
below.
Medicines Partnership is
currently developing a new booklet for patients on Medicines
Use Review, the new service being offered by community
pharmacists as part of the advanced service tier of
the new pharmacy contract. This will be printed and
distributed by the Department of Health to all PCTs
by the end of the year.
Focus on your Health for People
with Epilepsy
 Medicines
Partnership has developed a 16 page guide to review
consultations specifically for people with epilepsy,
and this was formally launched at the conference
of the Joint Epilepsy Council in Edinburgh on
November 9th 2004. It is now available
to order.
The guide has been funded by the
Department of Health as part of their action plan
in response to the National Sentinel Clinical
Audit of Epilepsy Related Death. This audit highlighted
a number of deficits in the care of people with
epilepsy, including a lack of timely access to
skilled specialists and sparse evidence of structured
management plans.
The guide encourages people with
epilepsy to come forward and prepare for a regular
review of their condition and anti-epileptic medication
- a review which can be vital to reduce the occurrence
of seizures and reduce the risk of long term complications
and even death. It gives people with epilepsy
and their carers an understanding of why regular
reviews are important, what they can expect, and
how they can get the most out of it by preparing
their concerns and questions and completing a
medication history and epilepsy diary in advance.
It has been developed by Medicines Partnership
in collaboration with Consumation Media, Epilepsy
Action, the National Society for Epilepsy, Epilepsy
Bereaved and neurologists, GPs and epilepsy specialist
nurses, and it has been tested with people with
epilepsy.
Copies of the guide have been distributed
free of charge throughout England to patients through
Primary Care Trusts, neurology clinics, patient organisations
and community pharmacies in the Vantage, Moss, Boots
Lloyds and Numark chains.
A Scottish version of the guide
has also been produced with funding from the Scottish
Executive. This may be ordered (free of charge) from
Epilepsy Scotland on 0141 427 4911 /
sstewart@epilepsyscotland.org.uk).
To download please click on the links
below.
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