PRUK were delighted to see pharmacy research profiled on BBC Breakfast this morning (21st June 2017), highlighting the importance of this research and the impact it will have on patient care.
The project profiled is The MEdication Management in Older People: REalist Approaches BAsed on Literature and Evaluation (MEMORABLE) project led by Dr Ian Maidment, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy at Aston University’s School of Life and Health Sciences, and a former beneficiary of Pharmacy Research UK’s project grants.
The Francis Report in 2013 emphasised that patients should be protected from avoidable harm. Yet, there is increasing evidence that medication is poorly managed exposing older people to harm. Medication related adverse events have been estimated to be responsible for 5,700 deaths and cost the UK £750 million every year (1).
This project is a 20-month study funded by the NIHR and pledges to develop practical, real-world solutions to the problem of medication management. The project will see Aston researchers work closely with NHS and social care professionals as well as patients and their carers. Dr Maidment is the chief investigator and his co-investigators include Mrs Sylvia Bailey, one of PRUK’s Scientific Advisory Panel members.
Medicine optimisation is an important area of pharmacy research and a high priority for PRUK. We are currently funding projects in this area that include investigating trends in opioid prescribing and the medication experience of adults with learning difficulties. We also recently published a report on how pharmacists can identify barriers to medication adherence and help patients overcome these.
You can read about all of our projects related to medication management and optimisation here.
To read Dr Maidment’s PRUK funded project, Medication Management in People with Dementia in the Community, click here.
For more information on Sylvia Bailey and our Scientific Advisory Panel, click here.
See Aston University’s news story here.
(1) Safety in doses: medication safety incidents in the NHS
No comments yet.