Exeter home visit pharmacy service showcased
AN innovative NHS service in Exeter which visits patients in their own homes to give advice and support around medication has been showcased at a top industry event at the ICC in Birmingham.
The Exeter cluster pharmacy team, managed by the Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, was one of only 12 projects from across the country to be selected to exhibit at the NHS Providers Showcase.
The event, part of the two-day NHS Providers annual conference and exhibition, is designed to promote outstanding work and provide delegates with inspiration and ideas to improve patient care.
The Exeter team was chosen to exhibit on the theme of ‘enabling strategic change’.
Sara Dilks, cluster pharmacist, spoke to NHS leaders and delegates about the service and shared videos, animations, posters, service information leaflets and several medication compliance aids.
She said: “We had interest from lots of delegates from across the UK and were successful in showcasing the Trust as a provider of innovative services and care to the local community in Exeter.”
The service, which comprises three pharmacists and two technicians, forms part of the integrated community health and social care team based at Exeter Community Hospital in Whipton.
The pharmacy team aims to empower people – mainly frail elderly patients – to take responsibility for their own medication and prevent unnecessary admissions to hospital.
The staff help people to understand their medication and how best to take it, and work with GPs and local pharmacies to address any problems the patient might have.
The invitation to the NHS Providers Showcase capped a successful year for the team, which was praised in a report for its positive impact on patient safety and healthcare effectiveness.
The team was shortlisted for the national HSJ Value in Healthcare Awards, led by the Health Service Journal, for its work to reduce risks for patients, avoid hospital admissions and achieve around £250,000 of cost savings.
Staff were invited to showcase the service at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s annual conference in September and the Primary and Community Care Pharmacy Network (PCCPN) development meeting in October – both in Birmingham – as well as the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association (UKCPA) autumn symposium in Leicester in November.
The team is also looking to publish its service evaluation outcomes in a peer reviewed journal in the near future.
