With over 10% of local funding being spent on medicines, it is clear that prescribing plays a vital role in improving health outcomes and ensuring the most efficient use of NHS resources. Our aim is to transform pharmacy and use medicines appropriately which will lead to improved health outcomes and reduced health inequalities.
- supporting the appropriate use of antibiotics
- establishing a medicines safety network and education programme
- ensuring COVID-19 medicines are delivered in a place to meet the needs of local people
- using the right medicines, swapping them for lower cost items where possible
- reducing variation in prescribing.
Outcomes to be achieved
- Appropriate prescribing and use of antimicrobials
- Effective management of illness
- Reduced medicine related errors, reducing harm for patients
- Reduced risk of hospitalisation related to medicines use, especially of our most vulnerable people
- Establish and promote safer prescribing and detection of conditions such as hypertension
- Maximise value through medicines supply and use
- Efficient use of resources
- Reduced unwarranted variation in prescribing across our system
Work Programme
| Programme | To be delivered |
|---|---|
|
Appropriate Use of Antibiotics Implement our strategy and annual work plan to deliver education to all sectors, surveillance of antibiotic usage and reduction of ‘watch and reserve’ antibiotics. |
2025/26 to 2027/28 |
|
Medicines Safety Establish a multi-sector network and education programme to reduce high dose opioid prescribing and reduce administration errors. |
2024/25 to 2025/26 |
|
COVID Medicines Delivery Unit Ensure accessible services are in place to meet the needs of our population. Equitable access will be achieved through delivering treatment to the patient home. |
2023/24 to 2024/25 |
|
Maximise Value A Better Value Medicines Programme will be established to maximise efficiencies across sectors, along with a High-Cost Drugs Group to monitor use and spend. |
2023/24 to 2024/25 |
|
Reduce Unwarranted Variation in Prescribing Formulary harmonisation across the system will be achieved to improve the conformity of medicines available and ensure equity of medicines available. |
2023/24 |
|
Workforce Establish a Pharmacy Faculty to formally bring together stakeholders from across the ICS to deliver a collective approach to pharmacy workforce activity. |
2023/24 |
|
Health Outcomes and Inequalities Support community pharmacies, practices and Cardiovascular Disease network to maximise the detection of hypertension through community pharmacy and optimise treatment. |
2024/25 |
|
Quality of Pharmacy Services Embed and improve the provision of services available from community pharmacies. |
2024/25 |
