The MMS Gala Awards Event

The Gala was one of the NPC’s 10th anniversary events and helped to recognise and celebrate the successes of teams that have been involved in the NPC collaborative improvement programmes over the past 5 years as well as sharing the learning that has been gained. The event took place on 20th November 2006 at the ICC in Birmingham and more information about the Award winners can be found below. The awards were presented on the day by Jeannette Howe, Head of Pharmacy at the Department of Health.

Please click on each award to access the presentations given by Trusts as well as a summary of the abstracts submitted for the award.

Award 1: Increasing patient care at the interface
Winner: Coventry Teaching PCT
Runner-up: Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust

Award 2: Increasing patient safety and reducing risk
Winner: East Kent Coastal
Runner-up: South Staffordshire Healthcare NHS Trust

Award 3: Increasing efficiency and reducing risk
Winner: Ashford PCT
Runner-up: University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust

Award 4: Patient involvement
Winner: Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
Runner-up: Hinchingbrooke Healthcare NHS Trust

Award 5: Improving access to medicines
Winner: Guildford & Waverley PCT
Runner-up: Central Cornwall PCT

Storyboard Award
Winner: University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust (Download large photograph 4.4MB)

Runner-up: Central Cornwall PCT (Download large photograph 4.4MB)

Table Hosting Award
Winner: Derbyshire County PCT
Runner-up: Blackburn with Darwen PCT

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Award 1: Increasing patient care at the interface

Winner: Coventry Teaching PCT
(Download PDF of presentation)

Coventry's PRISE scheme was developed in response to perceived need to improve repeat prescribing quality and cost effectiveness. The scheme has clearly delivered against this aim. Using pharmacists skills we have reduced prescribing waste, optimised repeat prescriptions and reduced the potential for patient harm. PRISE is an integral part of what pharmacist now do for patients in Coventry and such is our confidence in the scheme that it is now a fully developed enhanced service.

Runner-up: Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust
(Download PDF of presentation)

In the pharmacy residents were receiving up to 100 calls per day, many inappropriate, which meant they were unable to deal with urgent calls and led to delayed discharges. The paper based record of calls made retrieval of past information and identification of trends difficult. Having accurate and timely information can help identify and resolve system issues and improve information relating to admission and discharge which can be shared with primary care to help improve interface issues.

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Award 2: Increasing patient safety and reducing risk

Winner: East Kent Coastal PCT
(Download PDF of presentation)

The PCT Medicines Management team provides a Medicines Support Service to assist patients who have been identified as having concordance problems, by healthcare professionals or social services. Collaborative work was undertaken with our local social services and domiciliary care organisations to devise a medication administration policy. This policy ensures that patients unable to take responsibility for their own medication can be administered medication safely and effectively by carers.

Runner-up: South Staffordshire Healthcare NHS Trust
(Download PDF of presentation)

The HMMC data collection indicated that we were compromising service users safety with our system for the transferring of patients within the organisation. We were able to rectify this with a
simple intervention, improving our measures to 100%.

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Award 3: Increasing efficiency and reducing risk

Winner: Ashford PCT
(Download PDF of presentation)

In order to reduce prescribing costs and wastage of blood glucose testing strips, Ashford PCT set up a project in several GP practices to provide information and education to type 2 diabetic patients on how to check their blood glucose and how often. This resulted in substantial cost savings in 11 practices and overall the annual growth of both items and costs across the PCT was reduced over a period of 3 years.

Runner-up: University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
(Download PDF of presentation)

The introduction of Medicines Management Assistants (MMAs) to wards at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust has produced very positive and immediate results, including:

• Reduction in ad hoc stock requisitions by average of 67%
• Release of nursing time
  • Up to five hours/ward/day
• Release of Pharmacists time
  • Approximately one hour/ward/day
• Financial saving of £6 per patient in avoided waste
• Improved medicines availability (avoiding missed doses)
• Reduction in duplicated dispensing

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Award 4: Patient involvement

Winner: Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
(Download PDF of presentation)

One stop dispensing and self-administration are essential for ensuring that patients take their medicines correctly and that they get the most from their medicines on discharge from hospital. In partnership with healthcare professionals allows patients to practice taking their medicines and enables us to assist patients/carers cope with more complicated medication regimens, in essence it allows them to ‘practice’ taking their medicines as soon as their condition allows in order to increase concordance.

Runner-up: Hinchingbrooke Healthcare NHS Trust
(Download PDF of presentation)

The self/designated carer administration of medicines scheme allows patients with Parkinson’s Disease and carers to undertake administration of medicines in a safe and timely manner. The scheme has received national endorsement from the Parkinson’s Disease Society and has been warmly received by Parkinson’s Disease patients. It was used as an example of good practice when the National Parkinson’s Disease Society launched its ‘Get It On Time’ campaign at the House of Commons in April 2006.

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Award 5: Improving access to medicines

Winner: Guildford & Waverley PCT
(Download PDF of presentation)

In response to a survey in community pharmacies, a large survey of patients opinions on long term conditions and information from medication reviews, a range of initiatives have been designed to help older patients self manage their medication. One of these is a ‘Make Medicines COUNT Calendar’ which provides information on compliancy aids and includes a medicine reminder chart and reminder calendar. This will be circulated by front line staff and community pharmacists.

Runner-up: Central Cornwall PCT
(Download PDF of presentation)

A community pharmacy project whereby the pharmacist offers asthma reviews to patients. The patients are targeted by the practice in the typical group of those adults who persistently non-attend for asthma reviews. An ad hoc consultation is offered when the patient attends the pharmacy to pick up their inhaled medications. A peak flow reading is recorded along with an In Check device reading. Documentation is provided to link back to the patients GP.

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