Medicines Optimisation

Medicines optimisation looks at the value which medicines deliver, making sure they are clinically-effective and cost-effective. It is about ensuring people get the right choice of medicines, at the right time, and are engaged in the process by their clinical team.

The national AHSN Medicines Optimisation programme consists of three major themes:

• Transfer of Care Around Medicines (TCAM)
• PINCER (Pharmacist-led IT based INtervention for reducing Clinically important ERrors)
• Polypharmacy

Our approach

We can provide project management and clinical expertise to partner organisations including hospitals and CCGs, in line with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society medicines optimisation good practice guidance for healthcare professionals in England, our Medicines Optimisation programme has four guiding principles:

1. Aim to understand the patient’s experience
2. Evidence based choice of medicines
3. Ensure medicines use is as safe as possible
4. Make medicines optimisation part of routine practice

Our projects

Working alongside our programme partners, we are currently supporting the following projects:

• Implementation of PINCER across North Central London and North East London
• Implementation of Transfer of Care Around Medicines (TCAM)
• Barts Health NHS Trust
• Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust
• Polypharmacy is being scoped by the national AHSN Network and London Regional Medicines Optimisation Committee. Local actions will initially focus on Care Homes.

Helpful links

• RPS guidance on Medicines Optimisation: Helping patients to make the most of medicines
• NHS England: Medicines Optimisation
• Kings Fund – Polypharmacy and medicines optimisation: Making it safe and sound
• NICE – Medicines optimisation: the safe and effective use of medicines to enable the best possible outcomes