Pharmacy mental health service part of best practice
Appropriate contact with pharmacy services is one example of best practice highlighted in a Department of Health document entitled “10
high impact changes for mental health services” published this week.
The document, launched by health minister Rosie Winterton, outlines 10
key changes that mental health providers should make. “Based on
real examples of success, the initiative offers practical changes that
professionals can make to improve service delivery, the treatment and
experience of patients as well as the morale of staff,” said Ms
Winterton.
One of the 10 changes is: “Avoid unnecessary contact for service
users and provide necessary contact in the right care setting.”
To illustrate this change a seamless care model led by a pharmacy technician
at Mersey Care NHS Trust is described. Service users had been obtaining
medicines from the hospital pharmacy on a repeat basis due to problems
in accessing supplies from GPs and community pharmacies. Some had also
been obtaining supplies from their GP leading to duplication and increased
risk of errors.
The seamless care model allows service users to choose whether they want
to obtain their medicines from the hospital or a community pharmacy following
discharge, thus reducing expenditure on drugs, reducing risk and increasing
access.
The other high impact changes include improving access to expert screening
and assessment in primary care and providing a range of self-help and
home treatment and care options. |
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