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Alison Blenkinsopp, PhD, FRPharmS, is professor
of the practice of pharmacy in the department of medicines management
at Keele University.
Gianpiero Celino, BSc, MRPharmS, is director of Webstar Health.
Christine Bond, PhD, FRPharmS, is professor of primary care pharmacy,
and Jackie Inch, BPharm, MRPharmS, is research fellow in the department
of general practice and primary care at the University of Aberdeen.
Correspondence
to:
Professor Alison Blenkinsopp
School of Pharmacy,
Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire ST5 5BG
e-mail a.blenkinsopp@keele.ac.uk |
Abstract
Aim
To measure provision of medicines use reviews (MURs) in the first year of implementation and to investigate barriers and facilitators to uptake of the service.
Design
Postal questionnaire survey of pharmacy leads in primary care organisations
and structured telephone interview of strategic health authority (SHA)
pharmacy leads. Analysis of routinely collected data on MUR.
Subjects and setting
Pharmacy leads in 28 primary care trusts in England and three local health
boards in Wales, representing a 10% stratified random sample of primary
care organisations (PCOs), pharmacy leads in SHAs and the Welsh Assembly
Government.
Results
Overall, 38% (range 13–60%) of community pharmacies had claimed payment
for providing MURs in the first year of the service. There was a seven-fold
difference in the mean number of MURs per providing pharmacy, with a mean
of 35.7 (8.3–61.2). Pharmacies from multiples were over-represented
in the contractors claiming payment for MURs (71% versus the national
percentage of community pharmacies that are multiples, 57%). Multiples
undertook 83.6%
of all the MURs conducted in our sample PCOs. The number of MURs provided
represented 6.8% of the theoretical financially capped maximum. Most
SHA and PCO respondents viewed MURs as a part of the new contract with
considerable
potential but where progress was often slow. PCOs had used a range of
methods to support the roll out of MUR implementation locally.
Conclusion
The uptake and spread of the MUR service in its first year accounted for
only a small proportion of allocated funding. There were wide inter-PCO
variations in the level of MUR provision. Most of this variation was accounted
for by the percentage of providing pharmacies that were from multiple groups.
Stakeholders identified a number of barriers to provision. These findings
suggest that further action is needed to support and embed the MUR service.
Full text article PDF 60K |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal