Medicines Management
Issue no 2, p3
March/April 2002

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Second wave pilots ready for launch

Pharmacists from the 40 pilot sites selected as part of the second wave of collaborative medicines management schemes are ready to begin the first learning workshops and decide where the focus of their work will lie.

Richard Seal, from the National Prescribing Centre, Liverpool, said the second-wave projects closely resembled the first wave but that most sites would not know exactly what they would be doing until after the learning workshops.

"The second wave sites had their first orientation meetings in Manchester and London, which were very successful. They're keen to get on board and run with this. The focus is very much around medication review, in line with the national service framework for older people."

He added that progress among the 26 first-wave sites was also encouraging. He said: "There seem to be far more projects looking at issues to do with the involvement of pharmacists, and pharmacy in general."

He added that a strong patient focus had emerged in some pilots, and some PCTs were involved in surveys aimed at finding out how medicines affected patients, along with issues around the supply of medicines.

But he added that so far, most of the projects were concerned with mapping the system. The next stage would examine ways of changing it.

"Our pilots are beginning to show that where barriers are overcome then things can move on quite quickly, not just around doing medication reviews, but involving pharmacists in health promotion and so on."