AAMW Activities 2004 Arranged By Our Partner Organisations
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Prior to Ask About Medicines Week Wandsworth PCT set up a stands at several events, the Wandsworth PCT Health Fair and AGM and Carers Health Day at Wandsworth Town Hall. During the week their was an event held at Wandsworth Prison, local pharmacies handed out resources and 10 pharmacies were selected to audit the amount of unused and wasted medicines brought to their pharmacies by people.
Contact person
David Tambyrajah, Community Pharmacy Development Lead
Email: [email protected]
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During Ask About Medicines Week Heywood & Middleton PCT set up a stand for a day in their local shopping centre. The day was very successful over 200 hundred people across the two PCTs visited the stand. Health professionals answered questions and handed out Ask About Medicines resources.
Contact Person
Ann Bell, Medicine Management Technician
Email: [email protected]
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Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children
Pharmacists set up a stand in the Hospital during Ask About Medicines Week. Throughout the week health professionals answered questions from patients, carers and the general public and handed out Ask About Medicines resources and other complimentary materials.
Contact Person
Jayesh Shah, Patient Services and Neurosciences Pharmacist
Email: [email protected]
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Carlisle and District PCT
Carlisle & District PCT worked together with Age Concern. All activities were carried out by a small group of practice pharmacists. Ask About Medicines stands were set up in two local supermarkets manned by two health professionals answering questions and handing out leaflets. Two Age Concern day centres were visited and clients were able to talk at length about their medicines and treatments. Carlisle & District PCT will be visiting more Age Concern day centres and lunch clubs throughout the year.
Contact Person
Susan Coyle, Practice Pharmacist
Email: [email protected]
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Southport and Formby PCT engaged local press, radio and a feature of Ask About Medicines in the PCT newsletter. GP surgeries and pharmacies throughout the PCT had supplies of Ask About Medicines resources. Southport and Formby patients were urged to ask questions about their medicines and find out more about their treatments and health professionals were encouraged to help people make choices.
Diane Sander, Medicines Management Facilitator, Southport and Formby PCT said during a radio interview “We want to encourage patients to ask about the medicines they are prescribed because everyone is entitled to be involved in deciding whether a medicine is right for them”.
Contact Person
Diane Sander, Medicines Management Facilitator
Email: [email protected]
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Torfaen Local Health Board
A team of pharmacists and a nurse organised two days of events. The first was a stand at a local shopping centre where people could answer a questionnaire designed on what source the public would ‘choose’ to seek advice on health concerns, where would they consider going for a consultation for minor ailments, and where would they seek treatment for minor ailments. They also held a competition: ‘Guess the total value of waste medication’ that was displayed on a board. The results were extremely varied, ranging from £30 to £5,500, from a total of 74 entries. The actual answer was £434.
The second event was held at Age Concern. An AAMW leaflets for Age Concern was distributed a week prior to LHB visit. People were asked to list their medication for when they visited on the day, so a health professional could give them a medication review.
Torfaen Local Health Board engaged local key figures in their activities and actively supported Ask About Medicines Week. They were AM for Newport East, John Griffiths and the Mayor of Pontypool.
Contact Person
Cheryl Morgan, Prescribing Support Technician
Email: [email protected]
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Northumberland Care Trust
Northumberland worked with Age Concern, Health Development and Falls Prevention. 5 venues were set up during the week where pharmacists answered individual questions. A discussion guide covering these areas: obtaining medicines, reducing waste, getting the best from medicines, medication review, storage and taking medicines into hospital/bringing new medicines home was sent to all venues to prompt and prepare people for the sessions.
General medicines management leaflets were taken to each venue for attendees, including repeat prescription poster, managing your medicines booklet, leaflets on synchronisation, waste, medication review, generic medicines, medicines reminder charts and NSAIDs, and also information on healthy eating and falls prevention.
Northumberland will be holding discussion sessions at other Age Concern events throughout the year.
Contact Person
Julie Butler, Medicines Management Services, Project Facilitator
Email: [email protected]
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Rushcliffe PCT organised four coffee morning events held at sheltered accommodation complexes during AAMW. Two Practice Pharmacists were present; the sessions included a pharmacist manned stand - containing a range of leaflets and resources. Residents were given the opportunity to bring along their medicines and have a private consultation with a health professional where they could ask questions about their medicines. The majority of the sessions were taken up by a quiz that residents could fill out with a pharmacist. The quiz was designed by the Rushcliffe PCT. Residents learnt a lot from the quiz and pharmacists got excellent information out of the process which gave them insight into patient knowledge on medicines and medicines services.
The Rushcliffe PCT designed stickers to seal prescription bags and key rings with the ‘ask your Pharmacist or GP about your medicines’ message on it and sent them to all pharmacies and GPs in their PCT to use during Ask About Medicines Week.
Contact person
Emma Gyles, MMS Project Facilitator
Email: [email protected]
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Twenty Ask About Medicine Week sessions were held throughout East Leeds PCT, in venues such as Sheltered Housing complexes, luncheon clubs, retirement groups and one elderly Chinese group. In total 282 people attended the sessions and 75 of them asked questions, which resulted in the PCT contacting the patients GP to discuss medication issues.
Contact person
Claire Standage, Medication Review Pharmacist
Email: [email protected]
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Surrey Heath and Woking PCT
The Surrey Heath and Woking team set up stalls in three different locations in Main Square, Camberley and the Wolsey Place, Woking giving advice about medicines to members of the public. The team was received well by local shoppers and was able to help with a number of concerns. One gentleman who discussed his concerns about whether he should continue taking his medicines told one of the pharmacists “You have made my day.”
Contact Person
Rachel Muxworthy, Prescribing Support Pharmacist
Email: [email protected]
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South East Hertfordshire PCT
An Ask About Medicines quiz was held throughout eastern Herts and during the promotion diabetes nurse specialists, district nurses and pharmacists were on hand to answer any questions people had to ask about their medicines. The quiz attracted a lot of interest particularly with the under 12s and overall more than 500 hundred people visited the site. The quiz questions were centred around medicine usage and wastage and a prize was presented to a 3 year old girl who gave the correct answer for the quiz.
Contact person
Alan Spicer, Project Facilitator - MMS Collaborative
Email: [email protected]
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University Hospitals of Leicester
The pharmacy department of three hospitals supported the week by setting an information stand up in each of the hospitals with materials promoting good medicines use for patients and staff across all hospital sites. Reference cards were produced with useful internet sites with reliable health information, (this was welcomed by patients). Pharmacists and technicians answered lots of questions throughout the week – ranging from patients asking about their own medicines to a question about the use of an oral syringe for feeding hedgehogs.
Contact person
Mary Jobling, Clinical Pharmacist
Email: [email protected]
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Central Suffolk PCT promoted Ask About Medicines by holding two events one in ASDA, Stowmarket and the other Hadleigh Library and advertised them in the Evening Star the weekend prior, posted posters in community pharmacies and GP surgeries, placed flyers in Age Concern and British Heart Foundation. Leaflets were given out to people who visited the stands and a variety of clinical staff including a Dispensing Technician, Prescribing Advisors and Community Pharmacists were available to answer questions relating to medicines.
Contact person
Stephanie Sprakes, Project Facilitator
Email: [email protected]
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Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley PCT
Approximately 24 pharmacies in the Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley PCT were given display material and an evaluation forms for their customers to fill out. This involved encouraging members of the public to ask anything about their medicines, medical condition and minor ailments. The evaluation form proved to be very useful as the customer satisfaction survey provided to patients after they were counselled showed they valued the services provided by Pharmacies and Pharmacists and they would gladly use them again to ask any questions.
Contact Person
Jagdeep Minhas, Project Pharmacist
Email: [email protected]
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Lincolnshire PCTs joined forces by compiling a presentation called ‘You and Your Medicines’ to promote better understanding of medicines taking. This was presented at patient information stands along with Ask About Medicines resources during the week in the Pilgrim, Louth and Skegness Hospital Foyers. It was also successfully presented at the Lincolnshire Show in June 2004, where over 70,000 people attended over two days.
Lincolnshire PCTs also produced carry bags and pens, and delivered Ask About Medicines leaflets to every surgery and community pharmacy in East Lincolnshire PCT.
Contact People
Ruth Kent, Project Facilitator, East Lincolnshire PCT
Email: [email protected]
Richard Stainforth, Medicines Management Facilitator, North East Lincolnshire PCT
Email: [email protected]
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Shepway PCT Health Promotion Bus was in two town centres, manned by Pharmacists and Technicians, answering questions from the public and carrying out a questionnaire around medicines. A pharmacist and a technician also hosted a table top display in one of the local supermarkets. These events were advertised in local newspapers the week before the event and 'ASK' posters were sent out to all community pharmacies, GP surgeries, AGE Concern and Post Offices. Additionally, PCT launched Waste message bags. A bag asking patients to only order what they need as medicines cannot be re-used. The bag also had an Antibiotic message on the back of it.
Contact Person
Alison Webster-Kell, Lead Medicines Management Technician
[email protected]
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Events were held during AAMW and were organised to give ideas to older patients on the type of questions they could ask about their medicines, who they can ask and their choice in the decision process where medicines are involved. Details were given to patients/carers about sources of information on medicines and leaflets and the AAMW cards were handed out. It was also an opportunity to speak directly to patients and get feedback on their experiences regarding their medication and healthcare professionals. Patients and carers who attended were very positive about the events. The Medicines Management Team enjoyed meeting patients and now have a better understanding of the issues facing patients and carers. The information will be used to support GPs, nurses and community pharmacists in addressing these issues in the community.
Through community pharmacists patient awareness was raised by asking them to bring back unwanted medication to their local pharmacist for safe disposal. Waste bags were given out at each AAMW event. Additionally, community pharmacists were sent 50 bags each to give to patients during the week. Pharmacists were instructed to ask patients to return any unwanted medication in the bag to them for safe disposal. On return of unwanted medication patients were asked to fill out a questionnaire to find out why they returned their medication. If it is due to a concordance issue, pharmacists were asked to give advice (if appropriate) and feedback to the patients GP.
Contact Person
Jean Young, Medicines Management Collaborative Project Facilitator
Email: [email protected]
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Herefordshire LPC and PCT worked together to plan AAMW events.
Standard AAMW packs of leaflets and posters were sent to all community pharmacies, GP practices and community hospitals. Additional campaign materials sponsored locally included T-shirts and balloons. A PCT AAMW stand was displayed on the Maylord shopping centre on 3rd November with great success attracting a number of queries from the public on medicines.
The PEC Pharmacy representative used this opportunity to launch a questionnaire asking patients about the services they receive from their local community pharmacy during the campaign week. Information gathered from the questionnaire anonymously will contribute to the needs assessment for the new pharmacy contract, pharmacy services later this year. Over 200 completed questionnaires have been returned to date. A short piece had been placed in the Hereford Times and local Journal papers.
Contact Person
Dr Saran Braybrook, Pharmaceutical Adviser
Email: [email protected]
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Burntwood Lichfield and Tamworth PCT
Presentations and press coverage for this year’s campaign was directed towards the pharmacist being the first point of contact wherever medicines are concerned. Every pharmacy and GP practice received posters, leaflets, medicines reminder charts and t-shirts.
In conjunction with the Social Services database of 150+ community groups a letter was sent out offering to give a talk on medicines management to groups in November. Six talks have been completed, and were well received and seven bookings have been made so far for this year. This was successful as many of the groups have asked the PCT to go back and see them if anything new happens. The relationships built during the campaign have proven to be very useful, as the PCT will use the key contacts in the community groups to promote any future medicines management initiatives in the community.
Contact Person
Vanessa Brown, Medicines Management Facilitator
Email: [email protected]
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Blackburn with Darwen PCT
An invitation and starter pack was sent to all community pharmacists and GP practices within Blackburn with Darwen. This included the aims and objectives of the campaign, balloons, pencils, AAMW cards, and posters. The AAMW email address was included to encourage individual participation. The timetable covered three main Health Centres, Montague, Darwen and Larkhill, two acute hospitals- Blackburn Royal Infirmary, Queens Park Hospital, two supermarkets – Morrisons, Sainsburys, three care centres – Ardley, Mill Hill and Darwen Leisure centre, Central Blackburn Library and the six MMSC practices held various events.
Community pharmacist offered medication reviews and other health professionals such as nurses offered an open clinic.
The team consisted of four prescribing technicians, and six community pharmacists, a pharmaceutical adviser, and prescribing adviser. At each site there was a large display and a pharmacist and a prescribing support technician were available to answer questions on medication. Some sites were able to provide a private area for medication reviews.
Information on medication reviews was logged and a patient’s confidentiality agreement was signed.
The events were promoted via: Lancashire Evening Telegraph, Radio Lancashire action line – week prior to campaign, Radio Lancashire interview in Morrisons – first day of the campaign, Radio Lancashire hour long discussion involving both public and health professionals, flyers in Age Concern and all libraries, all GP practices, flyer via e mail – inviting the PCT staff to questions at open clinic held by the pharmaceutical advisers, posters in hospitals/care centres/ library – advertising the day we would be attending, and in a few newsletters- Medicine management/ clinical governance and Primary Post.
Contact Person
Lynn Bentley, Project Facilitator MMS
Email: [email protected]
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Experts from Hartlepool Primary Care Trust offered advice to people in the community about prescribed drugs. The PCT’s Medicines Team set up information stands at the town’s Asda and Tesco supermarkets and Springs health club where they talked to shoppers about issues including what various drugs are for and the long term effects of being on prescribed medicines.
The team advised visitors about how to access advice and support and gave information on different drugs and about how and why patients need to take them. They also helped people to identify whether they were in one of the at-risk groups for flu and explained more about how community pharmacists can help people to manage common winter ailments. Patients on complicated medicine regimes were also offered a drugs planner to help remind them to take their medication at the right time of the day.
Contact Person
Jayne Parkinson, Medicine Management and Community Pharmacy Facilitator
Email: [email protected]
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