The Pharmacy department is mounting a display of posters explaining how the diverse Pharmacists’ roles within the hospital setting, play a part in ensuring that patients know more about their medicines and how to take the accurately.
 
The poster covers the roles of the Admissions Pharmacist, to the Medicines information, HIV Pharmacist, Clinical Services Pharmacist, Mental Health, Discharge Pharmacist, to the Dispensary staff who are all involved in patient counseling and advice.
 
We also have a poster explaining how our POD (Patients Own Drugs) scheme is improving patient care, reducing drug waste and speeding up discharge times.
 
These posters will be displayed in the Pharmacy Outpatient waiting area and the Hospital reception/lobby, from Monday the 13th to Friday 17th of October 2003.
 
We will have stalls in that will be handing out the AAMW cards to all outpatient visitors to Pharmacy and to the Poster display in the Hospital reception.
 
An article is being printed in the local newspaper to promote AAMW locally
 
An advert is being put in the staff bulletin about AAMW
 
We will have a live Radio broadcast promoting AAMW, with 30 second jingles advertising the week over the weekend from the 11th October onwards.
 
We will be handing out questionnaires for feedback to all visitors to the Poster display.
 
Contact Details
Margaret Brown, Medicines Information Pharmacist, Homerton University Hospital NHS Trust
Tel: 0208 510 7000
Email: [email protected]

Heywood & Middleton PCT medicines management team is holding an event on Friday 17 Oct 2003. The event will be held in the local supermarket and market hall. The focus for the day is Older Persons and their Medicines, which will cover antibiotics, falls, repeat prescriptions, waste and Ask About Medicines Week question cards. There will be a display stand and patient information leaflets available relating to these topics.

Contact Details
Ann Bell, Heywood and Middleton PCT
Tel: O161 655 1551
Email: [email protected]

In conjunction with the two other north Derbyshire PCTs (Chesterfield, and High Peak & Dales) we have been running a lead in campaign. We have been displaying posters in a large variety of places (surgeries, pharmacies, hospitals, schools, local shops, post offices, churches, voluntary organizations, etc) and airing a series of radio ads. The key message has been ‘Do you know what is the most expensive medicine?’ So far, feedback has been very positive and is generating the desired effect of stimulating debate and raising interest. The answer will be given out during Ask About Medicines Week activities.

During AAMW itself, NE Derbyshire PCT’s Medicines Management Team will be holding manned stalls at local market days in our area. Practices, community pharmacies and local hospitals will have displays of materials giving our key messages, including leaflets, posters and AAMW cards. A competition is being run on all the displays whereby the public answer 3 simple questions (encouraged to ASK for the answers) and have the chance of winning £100, £50 or £25 in vouchers. All NE Derbyshire PCT prescribing staff will be wearing T-shirts during the week with ‘Ask Me About Your Medicines’ printed on them. A follow-up poster will also be distributed to give the answer to the question on the first poster, as well as other key messages. Press releases and other methods of attracting local media interest are being used.

Contact Details
Peta Dodsworth, North Eastern Derbyshire PCT
Tel: 01246 225157
Email: [email protected]

Each morning during Ask About Medicines Week pharmacists will set up a manned display in the town centre and at various supermarkets in St.Helens including Asda, Safeway, Morrisons. The team will be giving out information leaflets and providing advice on various medicine related issues, including the importance of asking questions, safe disposal of unwanted medicines and the amount of medicines wasted in St.Helens each year.

Each afternoon pharmacists will be available at the Age Concern in St.Helens talking to older people about their medication.

The local newspapers and radio station have been sent a press release.

Contact Details
Mrs Nicola Cartwright, Primary Care Pharmacist, St. Helens PCT
Tel: 01744 457242
Email: [email protected]

Launch of the Redditch and Bromsgrove ‘Don’t waste medicines campaign’ during Ask About Medicines Week. Posters and patient information leaflets to be displayed in all our local GP practices, pharmacies, town halls, libraries and community centres depicting the message ‘Did you know…..’ reminding patients to speak to their GP, practice or district nurse or community pharmacist if they have any questions about their medication, not to hoard medicines, not to waste medicines and where to dispose of unwanted medicines.

Exhibition stand and poster display in the Redditch Kingfisher shopping centre on Friday 17th, October. Pharmaceutical Advisors will be on hand to answer questions from the public about their medicines.

Contact Details
Sue Bosworth, Redditch & Bromsgrove PCT
Tel: 01527 507054
Email: [email protected]

We are a PCT divided into three localities, the prescribing team will be hosting an event in each locality promoting Ask About Medicines .

On Monday we are at Christchurch market (Christchurch Locality). Two pharmacy technicians will be offering AAMW advice, a health visitor is going to talk about headlice treatments and prevention and a dietetic assistant who will be promoting Eat 2B Fit which is the British Dietetic association campaign targeting 7-11 year olds.

Thursday we will be in Roberts Chemist in Wareham (Purbeck locality), again there will be two pharmacy technicians, a dietetic assistant offering advice on diet and two pharmacists, one of which will be conducting medication reviews. As part of mens health day we will be running a competition to win one of five ‘Haynes Man Manuals’.

Friday we will be in Wimborne (East Dorset Locality) at the W.I. market where we will have assistance from the PCT’s Falls Co-ordinator who will give advice on falls prevention and have hip protectors on hand to show the public! We will also have various aids available that might make medicine taking easier, for example medicine reminder cards and monitored dosage systems.

We hope this will be a success and an opportunity to educate the public regarding their medicines and to make them more aware of their local health care professional, the pharmacist.

Contact Details
Kerry Street, South & East Dorset PCT
Tel: 01202 850 604
Email: [email protected]

South Liverpool PCT's main messages for the week revolve around; using your community pharmacist, medication review, reducing waste.

Planned activities are;

The pharmacy team has promotional stands in Morrison & Asda supermarkets, one day at each, with community pharmacist involvement and a 'cardiobetes' nurse taking blood pressure measurements in the Asda store. Morrisons have donated apples to give to public and Liverpool health promotion are providing balloons and baby thermometers to give out.

‘Question time’ sessions in sheltered accommodation with PCT pharmacist & community pharmacist

Talks by a pharmacist at Age Concern luncheon clubs and cardiac rehabilitation sessions

Minor ailments information session for mums with young children, looking at nappy rash, analgesia, head lice, coughs & colds and antibiotics

Sharing a stand with an older peoples nurse at the 'Winter Survival Campaign'

Stand in local Community Centre

AAMW promotional material distributed to local health centers and day centers

Local press release to promote activities

Contact Details
Sharon Howard, South Liverpool PCT
Tel: 0151 234 1040
Email: sharon.howard.southliverpoolpct.nhs.uk

All surgeries will have Ask About Medicines cards available in their practices for patients to use, with the emphasis on “asking” their local community pharmacist. This will tie in with our local campaign on raising the profile of community pharmacists and their value as a “medicines expert”.

The Medicines Management Team will also be providing a number of road shows across the PCT area, in local libraries, shopping centres and health centres, so that patients and the public have the opportunity to “ask about their medicines” with any member of the team.

Eastern Birmingham PCT prescribes more antibiotics than any other PCT in the country. So one of our main messages that we do need to get across is that “antibiotics are not needed for viral infections such as flu, coughs, colds and most sore throats”. Patients will be encouraged to visit their local community pharmacist for advice and treatment for their symptoms.

Contact Details
Helena Pickin, Prescribing Advisor, Eastern Birmingham PCT
Tel: 0121 380 0624
Email: [email protected]

(with representatives from Boots the Chemist, Lloyds pharmacy, Cohens Chemists and Paul Benson’s Chemists Manchester)

South and Central Manchester PCTs will be hosting an event on Tuesday 14th October 10am – 4pm at the Friends Meeting House in Manchester City Centre.

The aim of the day is to give the public an opportunity to ask a pharmacist about their medicines and/or their medical conditions. We have a team to support the day comprising of:

• Pharmacists, (PCT and community)
• Pharmacy Technicians
• A Smoking Cessation Team representative

These healthcare professionals will be available to offer friendly, face to face advice on the following subjects:

• Babies and Children
• Woman’s Health including EHC
• People with mental health problems, including depression
• Men’s health and medicines
• Older people and medicines
• People living with long term/chronic illnesses, inc’ HIV, diabetes, asthma, arthritis and epilepsy.
• Compliance aids
• Medication wastage
• Smoking cessation
• Medication review

There will be 2 private rooms available for confidential conversations with pharmacists. There will also be a room set up with stands displaying leaflets and posters to raise awareness about the above health issues offering a varied range of free information and advice.

In addition, there will be blood pressure checks for people who want them and information and diabetes monitors.

On the day, members of the team will be in the city distributing leaflets and balloons to members of the public to promote the day and encourage them to take advantage of this service.

Prior to the event we will have a press release to advertise the day. Posters and leaflets will be circulated to all G.P’s, pharmacies and supermarkets . There will also be leaflet drops to local residents

Contact Details
Miss Ashley Harling, South Manchester PCT and Central Manchester PCT
Tel: 0161 611 3686
Email: [email protected] nhs.uk

Press release to all local newspapers and radio stations with quotes from local and south staffs wide GP and pharmacy associations, emphasizing that Ask About Medicines is not just for the week in question but for the future too.

Poster produced for all pharmacies and practices.

Printed sticky labels for pharmacies and dispensaries to use on medicine bags, advertising AAMW and its objectives.

We plan to follow up this initiative with a "Dispose of your Unwanted Medicines Properly" (DUMP) campaign. We are looking into purchasing bags for patients to use to take their unwanted medicines back to their pharmacy/dispensary.

Involving all local carer/voluntary/patient groups in the initiative.

Contact Details
Cathy Riley, South Western Staffordshire PCT
Tel: 01785 220004
Email: [email protected]

The pharmacy team will have a stand in Sutton town centre on Saturday 18th October form 10am-4pm. We have designed our own leaflets and posters, which we will display on the stand alongside the patient cards, supplied by AAMW and the RPSGB leaflets "Know Your Medicines". A member of the LPC will also be helping out on the day. We will be encouraging the public to ask us questions about their medicines and on how to reduce waste.

We are trying to get the local MP to come along to increase the publicity of the event. The press have been contacted, and a press release given for our local paper. The pharmacy team will be wearing coordinated clothes to emphasise that we are a team.

Contact Details
Reena Rabheru-Dodhy, Sutton and Merton PCT
Tel: 0208 251 0595
Email: [email protected]

Medicines Awareness Days at local Day Centres for the elderly; I’ve conducted a pilot of this scheme last week with some success. A community pharmacist and a district nurse were on hand to great patients of the day centre and help answer their questions about their medicines. Patients were told in advance to carry along their meds and prepare their questions. In total, 23 of the 60 patients (over the 2 days) took part and gave very positive feedback. Two patients were found to be at significant risk. Their GP was called and a change in medication was requested.

Radio interview of a GP to discuss AAMW; a local GP working closely with the Medicines Management Scheme (MMS) collaborative will be interviewed on public radio on Monday the 13th October. He will help deliver the key messages of AAMW and inform the general public of basic MMS principles.

Articles in the local newspapers; Local GPs specializing in the 6 themes have offered to write short articles on these and we hope to get these printed in the local papers during AAMW.

Handing out AAMW prompt cards at a local shopping mall and at local older persons’ social venues; the PCT has secured a stand in a very busy shopping area and will distribute the AAMW prompt cards to everyone passing by. Also, linking in with Age Concern, we will distribute these cards at social venues across the locality.

Contact Details
Sam Bolanakis, Kingston Primary Care Trust
Tel: 020 8339 8084
Email: [email protected]

Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth PCT will be providing all surgeries with promotional literature around Ask About Medicines Week, with a focus on asking the community pharmacist.

During Ask About Medicines Week we will be holding a “Road Show” to promote asking about medicines in each of our 3 localities. Members of the PCT pharmacy team and community pharmacists will man the stands. Members of the public will be able to talk to a pharmacist, pick up the AAMW leaflet/card and also access lots of other information about medicines and health. We will also be providing information on local services, becoming a blood or organ donor, NHS Direct, diet and exercise. There will be a prize draw to win swimming sessions at local pools and lots of fun!!

We will be handing out carrier bags which will have the message “PLEASE USE THIS BAG TO RETURN UNWANTED OR OUT OF DATE MEDICINES TO YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY PHARMACY” at each of the Road shows, and are attempting to measure the number of people asking about medicines in their local pharmacy before during and after AAMW.

Good luck everyone!

Contact Details
Vanessa Brown, Medicines Management Facilitator, Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth PCT
Tel: 01543 440831
Email: [email protected]

Asthma sufferers across the country are to be offered practical help in living with their condition, under a new initiative launched by 300 Co-op Pharmacy branches on Monday (12 October). The pharmacies plan to highlight ways of coping with the disease, which affects over two million people in the UK, as part of Ask About Medicines Week.

Branch pharmacists will be standing by to advise sufferers on how to get maximum effectiveness from their medication and whether they might benefit from a visit to their doctor. According to statistics from the National Asthma Campaign, more than one million people experience significant restrictions on their daily lives because of the condition. “As a community pharmacist, we know that some sufferers could benefit from more effective use of their medicines and we want to ensure we’re doing all we can to help,” said John Makepeace, general manager of Co-op Pharmacy, part of the Co-operative Group.

The initiative is being backed by pharmaceutical supplier, Glaxo SmithKline, which is providing a questionnaire to help pinpoint ways of improving individual treatment regimes.The number of children with asthma has increased six-fold in the last 25 years and an estimated 18 million working days are lost to asthma annually.

Ask About Medicines Week is an initiative happening across the UK to help promote partnership in medicine taking between medicine users, carers and health professionals.

Contact Details
Phil Edwards, Deputy Head of PR, the Co-operative Group
Tel: 0161 827 5289
Email: [email protected]

Working with our PCT we have decided to have a blitz on the following:

Flu jabs

Nicotine patches

`Direct Care at Pharmacy Scheme` - encouraging patients to go to pharmacist for minor ailments, no charge is made for prescriptions if the patients is normally exempt

Effectiveness (and safety) of paracetamol

Safety in general – especially storage and disposal od medicines

Encouraging patients to bring their medication into hospital

Letting patients know about what the hospital is doing to ensure safety around medications – prescribing and administration (Building a safer NHS - DoH) This will be done as a display with information leaflets in all appropriate languages.

Contact Details
Maddy Woods, Nurse consultant, Medicines Management, Homerton University Hospital and City & Hackney PCT
Tel: 0208 510 5555
Email: [email protected]

Monday October 6th, broadcast on BBC Oxford, 10:30 to 11:30am Pharmacy ‘phone in' with Jan Edwards, taking questions from the listeners - one theme will be Ask About Medicines Week. I have a printout of the leaflet and will adapt as needed.

Contact Details
Joe Coulson
Tel: 01993 878079
Email: [email protected]

Middlesbrough PCT are having a display stand in the local shopping centre during Ask About Medicines Week. Alongside the AAMW patient question cards on display at the event we will have information regarding the following:

Flu campaign (Department of Health posters & patient information leaflets)

Antibiotics (fluffy bugs & balloons with the slogan – not all bugs need an antibiotic)

Patient information leaflets including; Medication Review, Repeat Prescribing Hints & Tips, Safety & Unwanted Medicines, Insomnia

2 pharmacists to be available to provide advice

Invitation sent to all community pharmacists

Posters & flyers sent to all GP practices in the PCT

Press release regarding; Improving the way we use drugs, Medication Review, Repeat Prescribing

Information to encourage the return of unwanted medicines – safety angle

15 community pharmacists to be involved in recording any returns made to them during the month after the campaign

Contact Details
Sue Prout, Middlesbrough PCT
Tel: 01642 352650
Email: [email protected]

Shepway PCT are planning three 3-hour slots at a supermarket site in the PCT area.

The medicines management team will ‘table host’ with a guess how much it costs competition, leaflets and a questionnaire asking patients views on medicines and what services they would like to see in the area. The sessions will be manned by both pharmacists and technicians and representatives from the primary care team.

Contact Details
Alison Webster Kell / Kym Lowder, Shepway PCT
Tel: 01303 222481
Email: [email protected]

South Worcestershire PCT are intending to
have a display board manned by two pharmacists (employed as Practice Support
Pharmacists by the PCT) in 4 different locations across the trust on one day
of each week:
Mon 13th Oct: Worcester City
Tuesday 14th Oct: Malvern Town Centre
Wednesday 15th October: Droitwich Spa
Thursday 16th Oct: Evesham

Both pharmacists will be available between 12 and 2pm on each day to answer queries from the public.

We will publicise this locally & in surgeries too along with any activities planned by community pharmacies in the area.

Contact Details
Jo Panniers, South Worcestershire PCT
Tel: 01905 733152
Email: [email protected]

Work within the three local prisons on individual medication reviews and patient awareness sessions around the medications.

Portland, Dorset ‘Brown Bag’ scheme, allowing local people to come and see a group of GP’s & pharmacists with their medications for them to go through and ask any questions they wish, whilst we provide information about their specific medication.

Bridport, Dorset. Local pharmacist will be running a one stop medication review come medication information sessions for local population.

Contact Details
Carl Chick, South West Dorset PCT
Tel: 01305 368938
Email: [email protected]

Press release for one week, commencing 6th Oct 2003.

West Cumbria PCT has employed practice medicine managers within each surgery. Posters and leaflets will be put up in all surgeries to advertise the week, with the medicine manager on hand to assist with any enquires and direct the patient to the appropriate clinician, pharmacist or nurse.

Contact Details
Mel Bradley/Lynn McFarlane, West Cumbria PCT
Tel: 01900 324220
Email: [email protected]

Displays in a local supermarket and bingo hall.

Presentation at a healthy living centre

Feature in local press on the role of a pharmacist

Contact Details
Jayne Collingwood, Wakefield West PCT
Tel: 01924 213086
Email: [email protected]

As part of the AAMW initiative, Waltham Forest PCT are devising a patient questionnaire to extract patient’s beliefs around their medication and assess patient satisfaction with the service in general offered by healthcare professionals within the PCT. The plan is to distribute these questionnaires through local pharmacy contractors and GP practices. The forms will be evaluated and action will be taken through the medicines management programme.

Contact Details
Rita Patel, Waltham Forest PCT
Tel: 020 8928 2325
Email: [email protected]

To help people find out more about their medicines and how to get the best from them, pharmacists from North East, North West, South and West Leeds Primary Care Trusts will be available at the White Rose Centre, between 10.00am and 7.00pm on Wednesday the 15th of October to offer a medicines advice service.

A medicine advice session will also be held by a pharmacist from Allied Middleton Pharmacy between 12.00 to 2.00pm on Wednesday the 8th of October at Belle Isle Neighbourhood Centre’s Health Action Day. A pharmacist from Sheard’s Chemist will be available to give advice on Monday the 13th of October between 1.30 and 3.30pm at Holbeck Elderly Aid.

Ask About Medicines Week stickers have been produced and send to community pharmacists to use to seal dispensing bags. T-shirts will be made available on request.

Posters and leaflets will be circulated to local community groups/centres etc. We are also circulating information about waste medicines to GP practices, community pharmacies and local community groups.

Contact Details
Kate Harris, South Leeds PCT
Tel: 0113 3059660
Email: [email protected]

Plymouth PCT are launching a public awareness campaign on 10th October at ‘Sanity Fayre’ in Plymouth. There will be manned information stands at a variety of venues during the week. Examples of venues are Age Concern, the Health Living Centre, supermarkets, the Students Union at the University (tbc) and the main entrance of the main hospital, trying to link the venue with the Ask About Medicines Week theme on each day.

At these stands AAMW question cards, local ‘medicines and repeat prescribing’ booklets, and ‘medication reminder cards’ will be handed out for people to try. Leaflets promoting 'flu vaccinations, and other health/medicines-related information will be available, and a quiz with questions aimed at making people more aware of medicines-related issues. At each stand one pharmacist or pharmacy technician will answer medicines-related questions (this will be done with care since the patient’s full medical history will not be known).

We’re hoping to get quite a lot of media coverage – local newspaper, TV and radio.

Contact Details
Nicola Hews, Plymouth PCT
Tel: 01752 315323
Email: [email protected]

North Dorset PCT will distribute Ask About Medicines Week leaflets to all GP practices, minor injury units at community hospitals and mental health units within the Trust.

There will be an AAMW display within the Trust building for staff and the PCT are currently considering distributing leaflets to dentists.

Contact Details
Alison Follis, North Dorset PCT
Tel: 01305 361290
Email: [email protected]

Broxtowe & Hucknall PCT plans to have Ask About Medicines Week displays in all PCT premises plus manned display in four locality libraries throughout the week. Each GP practice will be supplied with display materials and patient cards.

One community pharmacy chain is employing a pharmacist to be supplementary within their shops throughout the week to give advice to patients.

Poster competitions in local schools have been arranged on the theme of medicine safety. We are hoping to share this information with local radio & TV through our press office.

Contact Details
Mervyn Ritchie, Medicines Management Facilitator, Broxtowe & Hucknall PCT, Nottingham
Tel: 0115 8754900
Email: [email protected]

The details of Wandsworth PCT’s local campaign are as follows;

Project initiation - September 25th. A covering letter, Ask About Medicines Week newsletter and a poster were sent to all community pharmacists explaining about AAMW and soliciting their support and involvement. At a recent LPC meeting, community pharmacists wanted to know what other promotional material was available. David Tamby Rajah would be grateful if promotional material could be sent to all Wandsworth PCT pharmacists.

Translated leaflets – in Hindi & Gujarati will be aimed at practices with appropriate populations. These will detail how to order repeat medicine in ways that reduce risk, reduce waste and outlines how to utilise the B-script.

Carrier bags – This will be the backbone to an informal ‘dump’ campaign. Plastic carrier bags detailing that several million pounds worth of waste medicines equates to a number of operations that could be performed. These will be distributed to all community pharmacists throughout the Trust. Patients will be asked to use the bag to return any un-used/ unwanted medicines for safe disposal by the community pharmacist.

Medication Review Cards – a card which allows patients to list all repeat medication and dosages and detail any problems they are experiencing with the medicine. The patient or their carer can present this to a health professional and prompt the appropriate medication review level (as defined by ‘Room for Review’). This will be aimed at vulnerable, hard-to-reach groups i.e. housebound, and will be distributed through our local Carers’ Association and the Carers Conference (Wandsworth Town Hall) on October 8th 2003.

Generic Prescribing Patient Iinformation Leaflet (PIL) – This leaflet will be given to all practices and most community pharmacists explaining generic switches. Community Pharmacists have found it difficult to explain why medicines appear to be ‘changed’ to patients who are confused.

Medicines Management Video – This is a brand new resource aimed at either practices with AV equipment or community groups where due to illiteracy, the message contained in leaflets may not be getting across. The video details problems which can be caused when patients over-order, polypharmacy etc. We are currently investigating whether we can get some translated into other languages useful to the ethnic minority groups in Wandsworth.

All of these initiatives are designed to continue after AAMW through the presence of the Medicines Management Services Collaborative in Wandsworth PCT and will be further promoted with posters and leaflets available in the Ask About Medicines Week website being distributed to all GP practices.

Contact Details
Shelly Aldred, Medicines Management Project Facilitator, Wandsworth PCT
Tel: 0208 874 8134
Email: [email protected]
or
David Tamby Rajah, Wandsworth PCT Pharmacist
Tel: 0208 682 6243
Email: [email protected]

Practices and some pharmacies in the PCT have set up drop in clinics during Ask About Medicines Week. Patients are being offered the opportunity to pop along and ask questions about their medicines to a pharmacist. They are also invited to bring along their medicines so the pharmacist can undertake a brown bag review.

In addition, we are setting up a stall manned by pharmacists in the High Street on Thursday 16th October to give the general public a chance to ask questions about their medicines and seek advice and information on a wide range of medicines related subjects.

Contact Details
Karen Groom, Taunton Deane Primary Care Trust
Tel: 01823 344417
Email: [email protected]

Display boards to be used outside supermarkets in Rugby, with “Ask About Medicines” information and other information regarding medication review.

Attendance at an Older Persons Safety Event, the fortnight before “AAMW”, where we will promote the weeks ideas, using the leaflet.

Presentations on general medicines information at voluntary organizations in the Rugby area, during and after the week.

Promotion through local media is intended closer to the event.

We intend to use the resources from “Ask About Medicines Week” in our activity through out the year. It is hoped the event will be the part of continued awareness raising of, the need to know about medicines.

Contact Details
Kate Ivison, Rugby Primary Care Trust
Tel: 01788 550860
Email: [email protected]

Raising professional awareness: Evening event for community pharmacists on Ask About Medicines Week, with specific focus on epilepsy. We are also manning an information stand at a forthcoming protected learning event, which all the local practices will attend, on AAMW. AAMW has been included in a number of local publications, including e-fortnightly and CHAT newsletter.

Local media coverage during the week to raise public awareness.

An information stand, manned by pharmacists, on the 18th October in a local Shopping Centre, with a quiz for people to complete.

Contact Details
Mandy Matthews, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury PCT
Tel: 01242 548865
Email: [email protected]

Central Cornwall are combining their own campaign ‘Managing your Medicines’ with AAMW. Brightly coloured stickers will be placed on patient’s prescriptions with key messages around waste, ordering and returning medication.

Various events for health professionals are taking place to raise awareness.

Public events taking place, pharmacist on hand to answer queries, dump bin, drug cost on empty boxes and Pinky the Dinosaur! Message here is bring your thinking out of the dark ages and modernise your medicines with partnership management (patient and health professional).

Display boards with AAMW messages.

Distribution of leaflets to surgeries.

Presence in various clinics throughout the week relating to themed days and handing out leaflets and answering questions.

Various presentations to relevant groups within PCT.

Contact Details
Sue Stephens, Central Cornwall PCT
Tel: 01872 358634
Email: [email protected]

Table hosting sessions will be held at Asda Walmart, Manchester, on three separate days during Ask About Medicines Week, Monday 13th,Wednesday 15th and Friday 17th October, between 10am -4pm.

Topics covered aim to promote community pharmacy- e.g. minor ailment schemes, drug intervention schemes etc, medication review, drug waste, benzodiazepines and antibiotic use.

Several pharmacists will be available to answer patient’s questions, along with the medicines management team from North Manchester PCT.

Contact Details
Lynda Gilligan, North Manchester Primary Care Trust
Tel: 0161 219 9417
Email: [email protected]

Bedford PCT will be working in close partnership with local pharmacists and community workers to deliver key messages about managing and understanding medicines, linked to health promotion and health improvement activities.

A medicines amnesty will run throughout the week and patients will be encouraged to return unwanted medicines to their pharmacists for disposal. Pharmacists will monitor the levels of returned medicines and feed this information back to the PCT and the GPs.

A stand in the town centre through-out the week will be used to publicise AAMW, the PCT and general health messages and will be manned by pharmacists, nurses and health promotion professionals to offer advice, information and outline medicine reviews.

Targeted posters, leaflets, postcards and information will be disseminated through local pharmacies, general practices and health centres and accompanied by a range of self-assessment equipment at various locations across the community.

A publicity campaign includes coverage in the local press, community newsletters and radio interviews and a competition for members of the public around “How do you remember to take your medicines?”

Contact Details
Susan Hoath, Assistant Director, Modernisation, Bedford Primary Care Trust
Tel: 01234 795714
Email: [email protected]

Alongside Ask About Medicines Week literature and promotional cards to encourage patients to ask anything they are concerned about regarding their medicines, Hartlepool PCT is to launch a Medicines Wastage campaign.

The key message will refer to the repeat prescription ordering process and will say don’t order it if you don’t need it. It links nicely with AAMW since often medicines are wasted because patients have questions but don’t ask!

Activities include:

Use of all AAMW literature in practices and pharmacies

PCT posters and leaflets around Medicines Wastage for practices, pharmacies, nursing homes, bingo halls, libraries etc.

Local Newspaper article and competition

In-house competition for the pharmacies

Data collection around medicines returned

Link with Sunderland University and involvement of project students to undertake some medicines wastage evaluation

Contact Details
Jayne Parkinson or Cath McClelland, Hartlepool PCT
Tel: 01429 287072

A GP, Pharmacist and Nurse will give presentations to older people on the 16th of October titled ‘Medicines and Older People’.
Medication cards have been sent out to attendees to fill out any medications they take. Attendees are invited to bring the completed form along on the day when there will be an opportunity to discuss medicines with the pharmacist. A free lunch will be provided.

On the 17th of October presentations will be given by a GP, nurse and pharmacist to carers entitled 'Medicines and Carers'. 350 invitations have been sent through the Carer Forum to registered carers. 85 have been sent to care homes. A free lunch will be provided.

50,000 preprinted carrier bags will be distributed to community pharmacies and the hospital in Southend. Each carries a message on the front which says £2m worth of unwanted or unused prescription medicines are destroyed each year in Southend. The money wasted in this way would pay for 143 heart operations, 250 hip operations or 2,000 cataract operations. These bags will be used for prescrition medicines in pharmacies throughout June. Patients are urged not to order more than one month's supply at a time.

The bags are being supported by local advertising, posters in pharmacies and leaflets explaining why pharmacies cannot re-use returned medicines.

Contact Details
Bo Sotire, Southend PCT
Tel: 01702 224618

Eastbourne Downs PCT are running an event in Eastbourne Shopping Centre
(Arndale Centre) on Tuesday 14th October promoting the importance of
encouraging patients to 'Ask About Medicines'. Community pharmacists will be involved in the event and the PCT will also raise awareness of the issue of waste, by re-launching their 'don't waste medicines' campaign at the same time.

There will be balloons and pens featuring the AAMW logo and the team will wear AAMW teeshirts. AAMW pomotional items will also be sent out to all community pharmacies.

There will be a competition for the pharmacy with the best window display promoting the Ask About Medicines campaign.

Estbourne Downs PCT have obtained
sponsorship for the event from AstraZeneca and Merck Sharp and Dohme.

Contact Details
Helen Brandon, Prescribing Support Pharmacist, Eastbourne Downs PCT
Tel: 01323 747735
Email: [email protected]

Rochdale PCT are organizing an Ask About Medicines event in the Asda store in Rochdale town centre on Friday 17th October – the theme for that day is older people and their medicines. The team plans to focus on antibiotics, repeat prescribing and medicine related falls.

There will be a display stand in the store and patient information leaflets available from age concern related to the above topics. The team consists of Nick Fong
(prescribing advisor), Pina Renzulli & Sandra Wild (medicine management technicians) who will be available to answer any queries/problems patient’s may have about their medication.

Contact Details
Pina Renzulli, Medicines Management Technician, Rochdale PCT
Tel: 01706 516906
Email: [email protected]

Huddersfield PCT are planning a range of activities to support Ask About Medicines Week

Posters and question cards to be distributed in GP surgeries.

Advertising AAMW and a ‘Dump campaign’ on the back panel of local buses.

Local radio and newspaper advertising re wasted medication, compliance and AAMW.

Printed carrier bags containing medicine cards in different languages, the carrier bags to be reused to return unwanted/ unused medication to local pharmacy.

Bags to be distributed in town centre / local Bingo hall.

District nurses input re house bound patients.

Pharmacists to collect data for returned medication.

Pharmacists to give out key cards and do window displays re the national themed days.

Re advertising of cost of unused medication at the end.

Contact Details
Kath Barraclough, Huddersfield Central PCT
Tel: 01484 344379
Email: [email protected]

Central Cheshire PCT considers Ask About Medicines Week to be complementary to programmes of work already underway such as medication review schemes in GP surgeries and community pharmacies. The PCT aims to promote the key message of Ask About Medicines Week, that medicines taking is a partnership between the patient/carer and health professionals, throughout the organisation and to our partners and the public.

We are writing to all our community pharmacists endorsing AAMW and asking them to support the initiative.

We are using our mobile unit to hold public information campaigns in our local towns. The mobile unit is to be staffed by members of the medicines management team, corporate communications team and Expert patient programme participants

We are publicizing the week and promoting partnership in medicines taking through the local media

Contact Details
Janet Kenyon, MMS Project Facilitator, Medicines Management Team
Central Cheshire PCT
Tel: phone 01270 415 488
Email: [email protected]

Guildford and Waverley PCT plan to produce a two page newsletter listing all AAMW events which will be circulated with August pay slips to all staff and also sent to GP practices.

Resource packs for use at meetings with staff and/or patients/public are being produced advertising our program of events.

Display boards for all GP practices, community hospitals and clinics.

Self mark quiz – in the format of Readers Digest ‘It helps to improve your word power’ in September pay slips.

Possibly a poster competition for Primary schools – posters to be added to display boards.

Working with Community Pharmacists handing out leaflets during Ask About Medicines Week at shopping centers and railway stations.
Local initiatives:
Ask about antibiotics
Ask about your medicine
Ask about medicine waste prevention

Questionnaire: Asking about usage of community pharmacists

Contact Details
Fay Boyett, Guildford & Waverley PCT
Tel: 07880 738513
Email: [email protected]

To print and supply community pharmacies and surgeries in Hampshire & IoW with stickers detailing the AAMW initiative with particular reference to concordance and medicine waste. The stickers can then be used to seal medicine bags and on repeat prescriptions forms.

Contact Details
Michael Holden, Hampshire & IOW Local Pharmaceutical Committee
Tel: 020 8974 2100
Email: [email protected]

Briefing event for local pharmacists

Briefing meeting with various use groups within area, it elicit their support to spread information within their respective client group.

To date, local branches of Age Concern & Mind have been recruited. Age Concern have agreed to distribute information to all new contacts (1000 per month). Mind wish to put up a display about AAMW at their open day in late August (subject to materials being available)

Contact Details
Mark Seaton, Cannock Chase PCT
Tel: 01543 465100
Email: [email protected]

Bedfordshire Heartlands PCT aim to distribute the AAMW question cards through GP surgeries as well as community pharmacies. Pharmacists and GP staff will be encouraged to take a more active role than just handing out cards.

We are ascertaining interest for information points in surgeries, shopping centres and commumity pharmacies which will allow the public to discuss use of medicines with a pharmacist.

We would like to utilise the local media to encourage patients to think about sensible use of medicines, being part of the decision to treat, avoiding wastage etc.

Contact Details
Catherine Bouchard, Bedfordshire Heartlands PCT
Tel: 01525 631157
Email: [email protected]

Luton Teaching PCT will be combining their waste medicines campaign with Ask About Medicines Week. They are hoping to create a plastic bag that can be distributed to all residents advising them of the wastage of prescribed medicines in Luton and the Ask About Medicines campaign.

Contact Details
Rochelle Salem, Luton Teaching Primary Care Trust
Tel: 01582 709240
Email: [email protected]

Listed below are a range of Ask About Medicines Week activities arranged by our partner organisations in 2003. The list was added during the preparatory phase and so the activities are all described in the future tense, but we have left them on the site for the time being because they illustrate how much activity was undertaken for AAMW 2003.