Medication Compliance - FOI Response Register

I have a freedom of information request regarding the use of multi-medicine pill pouches to increase medication compliance, save on medication waste and increase adherence rates for especially the polymedicated elderly.

Could you please answer the following questions:

1.    Within your Health Board

a)    Where are you using multi medicine pill pouches? E.g., acute hospitals, mental health hospitals, nursing homes, residential care homes, patient’s homes.

Patient’s homes

Kindly provide a name and department of this place.

N/A

b)    Which type of organization is requesting them? E.g., Hospitals, nursing homes, community care providers.

Community health and social care providers

c)  Who provides these pouches? E.g., Hospitals, community pharmacies (Please state name & address).

Community pharmacies

2.    Does your Health Board conduct continued care at home visits solely for the purpose of conducting medication adherence prompts?

If so,

a)    What type of patient are you providing this service for? E.g., Fragility, mental health, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy.

People assessed as requiring this dependent on their needs and conditions which may include the conditions listed above but is not exclusive to this.

b)    How many patients require these medication prompt visits per month?

This information is not centrally held by NHS Shetland. Patients can access this directly from community pharmacies or from social care providers.

c)    How long does it take for the staff member/ carer to conduct a patient medication prompt visit?

This information is available from social care providers and contracting bodies i.e. local authorities in Scotland.

No, if patients are in care homes, or at home and need support with medications administration, then it is the support at home team through the Shetland Islands Council that would be supporting this.

A FOI request to the Shetland Islands Council may be submitted at the following address foi@shetland.gov.uk

3.    In your Health Board, are you using medical devices or technology to improve medication adherence at home?

If so,

a)    What type of device/ technology are you using?

Automated carousel devices, watch reminder devices, and other prompting methods i.e. alarms on persons own device such as a smartphone or Ipad.

b)    Is this device/ technology used in conjunction with patient medication prompt visits? Or has this reduced the number of medication prompt visits required?

It can reduce the number of visits required, however is used to promote independence of managing medicines where safe and appropriate to do so.

c)    Are you planning on increasing investment or the number of medication adherence solutions available to your local population to improve medicines adherence at home? (Especially for the most vulnerable patients.) If so, how?

Yes, by continuously reviewing options available and matching them to the needs of the population requiring support.