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UKMi

Knowledge for change was the theme of the UKMi conference. Helen Davis, medicines information pharmacist, reports

The 30th annual UK Medicines Information conference was held at Warwick University from 2–4 September.

New library gives patients and health professionals best drug information

Name change

The UK Medicines Information Executive (UKMi Exec) is the new name for the UK Medicines Information Pharmacists Group (UKMIPG). The name change of the professional leadership group was announced at the 30th annual UKMi conference and reflects the diversity of staff now delivering medicines information services across the UK. Other groups, including technicians and information scientists, are increasingly working alongside pharmacists and are playing a valuable role in providing medicines information services to health care professionals throughout the NHS.

The name change was announced by the new chairman of the group, Christine Proudlove, director of the North West medicines information centre in Liverpool. Mrs Proudlove has taken over from Peter Golightly (of Trent medicines information centre) who carried out this role for nine years.

Opening the conference, Christine Proudlove, chairman of the UKMi Executive, highlighted the success of the UKMi horizon scanning portfolio, which has been used to facilitate the managed introduction of new medicines into the NHS (eg, people are given advanced warning before a product is launched). This includes the successful implementation of the Prescribing Outlook series, development of the NewDrugsOnline database and publication of monographs on new products in development and recently launched drugs (New Medicines Profiles) on the UKMi website (www.ukmi.nhs.uk). The portfolio has further developed with the recent launch of a work in progress database, Mrs Proudlove announced. The UKMi network is working to ensure information is produced in a timely manner to assist managers in planning prescribing priorities, as well as avoiding work duplication, Mrs Proudlove said.

An electronic library for medicines

The London and South East Medicines Information Centre and DrugInfoZone have recently received funding from the National electronic Library for Health (NeLH) to support the development of a National electronic Library for Medicines (NeLM), Mrs Proudlove announced. Work from the UKMi network is expected to play an integral part in this library.

Muir Gray

Muir Gray: New national electronic library for medicines

The NeLM is to provide a comprehensive medicines knowledge base within the NeLH. Muir Gray, director of the NeLH project, said that the work of UKMi and DrugInfoZone has already created the core of this new service. The aim of new library is to ensure that patients, clinicians and managers have access to the best current knowledge on medicines wherever and whenever they need it. It will act as a conduit for the dissemination of national and local medicines information, including that produced by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, Prodigy, the British National Formulary and the National Prescribing Centre. Information technology will be used to deliver the services through interfaces such as the internet and the National Care Records System.

Veronica Fraser, Department of Health library adviser, followed with an overview of knowledge management in the NHS. “Now is the time to focus on the skills and competencies needed to mobilise the whole NHS workforce in knowledge-focused working,” she said.

Other developments

Other developments on the UKMi knowledge and learning agenda include the launch of an incident reporting scheme for medicines information services (IRMIS). Mrs Proudlove also announced that a project leader has been appointed to lead the development of an advanced training course for medicines information pharmacists. The availability of such a course is gaining importance in the light of the implementation of the Agenda for Change knowledge and skills framework and with the development of career pathways to support consultant pharmacist grades.

Pharmacy technicians are playing an increasingly important role in the medicines information service. Vivienne Rose, senior technician, Northampton General Hospital, undertook the UKMi-accredited medicines information training scheme for pharmacy technicians. She said that the scheme has helped define the role of the medicines information technician and encouraged a review of working practices, including the development of standard operating procedures for a range of enquiry types.

Impact of medicines information

Poster and oral communications illustrated the work of medicines information pharmacists at a local level. Niamh O’Hanlon, chief II pharmacist, St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, assessed whether a medicines information service could have an impact on the incidence of medication errors and, if so, if a value could be placed on this impact. Of 311 incidents within her hospital, 63 per cent were deemed preventable by a medicines information service, according to an expert panel. A recognised tool was used to classify severity and estimated costs of these incidents in the worst case scenario ranged from €1.96m to €2.15m. Ms O’Hanlon’s project won the conference’s oral communication’s prize.

Rowena McArtney, senior medicines information pharmacist, University Hospital of Wales, won the poster presentation prize for describing the setting up of a project group for development of standard operating procedures for use in medicines information centres across Wales. As a result of the project, 27 SOPs have been finalised.

Lorna Rankin, medicines information pharmacist, North Glasgow University Hospital, presented research to determine the medicines information training needs of clinical pharmacists. Using the UKMi competency framework as a guide, 38 competencies were considered important for the effective performance of clinical pharmacists. Medicines information pharmacists should be able to use relevant resources effectively to answer enquiries of simple and intermediate complexity. This would allow these pharmacists to focus on the delivery of a more proactive service, Ms Rankin said.