In response to COVID-19, three additional East Midlands trusts have accelerated their uptake of a specialist software that enables trusts to communicate changes in patient’s medication to their local community pharmacy so they can receive additional support.

Transfers of Care Around Medicines (TCAM) ensures patients receive ongoing support from their local, community pharmacist so they have the correct medicines and are confident in taking them safely and appropriately after hospital discharge. The national AHSN programme aims to address the increased risk associated with medicines and transfers of care. Between 30 and 70% of patients experience unintentional changes to their treatment or medication errors because of miscommunication between care providers.

Now spread to 75% of trusts across the East Midlands, TCAM was identified as a response programme for COVID-19, to prevent avoidable re-admissions based on medication errors, to help with bed capacity within trusts during the pandemic. Three trusts that were not previously using the software or were not using updated software have implemented or are in the process of implementing, as a direct response to COVID-19. In order to adapt to current challenges, additional functionality is being explored and used such as an option for trusts to adopt alerts to community pharmacies when patients are admitted to hospital. There is also newly developed functionality of discharge information being sent directly to pharmacy care home teams, which supports these teams to identify and prioritise high risk care home patients for medication support.

TCAM referral activity decreased slightly during COVID-19 due to pressures within hospital and community pharmacy settings, however, the East Midlands saw a consistent continuation of referrals from hospitals – supporting the aim to prevent avoidable re-admissions and continue valuable support for patients. We have supported trusts with the communication to community pharmacies around the intention to continue TCAM referral service during COVID-19.

Since 2018, we have been working closely with trusts in the region to encourage and support the implementation and use of TCAM. In 2019-20 we saw an increase in referrals, with over 12,000 at-risk patients now benefiting from additional support with their medication from their community pharmacist when leaving hospital. During 2019-20 it is estimated that TCAM enabled over £9m of savings for the region’s health and care system from reduced readmissions to hospital.

We supported this programme by assisting trusts to understand implementation requirements and navigating potential barriers, disseminating and covering costs for TCAM software, facilitating system training and by engaging with community pharmacies to support awareness and training to increase completion of referrals from trusts. TCAM is now live in six East Midlands trusts with three further trusts in implementation phase.

Find out more about TCAM on our website.