EMAHSN worked with members of the East Midlands Medicines Management Group to hold an Innovation Exchange to look for solutions to the challenges the healthcare system is dealing with in relation to medicines optimisation.

The aim was to develop innovative new ways of working to improve patient outcomes, enhance patient experience and, at the same time, drive down the costs of care and prescribing.

Following opening presentations from NHS England Regional Pharmacist, Richard Seal and local Rushcliffe GP Richard Stratton, patient representative, Stuart Belshaw provided clear and compelling reasons for empowering patients to take control of their medicines.

Four of the five Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships in the East Midlands were represented at the event and each presented their own local medicines optimisation challenges.

Explore challenges and identify solutions  

Workshops in the afternoon focused on:

• The medicines contribution to long term conditions including Respiratory, Diabetes, CVD

• Polypharmacy and De-prescribing

• Medicines management and safety in care homes

• Medicines and their impact on urgent and emergency care demand and pain management

There was a large and varied amount of delegates representing healthcare and industry, who contributed to proactive discussions about possible solutions for transforming the medicines optimisation agenda in the East Midlands.

Ongoing collaboration

Transfers of care around medicines and polypharmacy are both progressing as work programmes led by Consultant Pharmacist Kate Dawson - view our Medicines Optimisation projects.