Quality standard
Quality statement 2: Communicating that medicines support has started
Quality statement 2: Communicating that medicines support has started
Quality statement
Adults receiving medicines support in the community from a social care provider have their general practice and supplying pharmacy informed that support has started.
Rationale
Knowing who is responsible for providing medicines support and who to contact allows prescribers to communicate any changes to medicines to the relevant person. This helps to ensure that all services involved in medicines support can share information about any changes to medicines or medicines support needs, and that people receive the support they need to take their medicines safely and effectively.
Quality measures
Structure
Evidence of local arrangements for social care providers to notify a person's general practice and supplying pharmacy when they start to provide them with medicines support in the community.
Data source: Local data collection, for example a documented medicines policy.
Process
a) Proportion of adults receiving medicines support in the community from a social care provider whose general practice is informed that medicines support has started.
Numerator – the number in the denominator whose general practice is informed that they have started to receive medicines support.
Denominator – the number of adults receiving medicines support in the community from a social care provider.
Data source: Local data collection, for example audit of records of adults receiving medicines support in the community from a social care provider.
b) Proportion of adults receiving medicines support in the community from a social care provider whose supplying pharmacy is informed that medicines support has started.
Numerator – the number in the denominator whose supplying pharmacy is informed that they have started to receive medicines support.
Denominator – the number of adults receiving medicines support in the community from a social care provider.
Data source: Local data collection, for example audit of records of adults receiving medicines support in the community from a social care provider.
What the quality statement means for different audiences
Service providers (social care providers) have procedures in place to inform the person's general practice and supplying pharmacy when they start to provide medicines support to an adult receiving social care in the community.
Registered managers of services providing medicines support to adults receiving social care in the community inform the person's general practice and supplying pharmacy when they start to provide them with medicines support.
Healthcare professionals (prescribers and supplying pharmacies) record when an adult receiving social care in the community is starting medicines support, and make a note of who to contact about any changes to medicines.
Commissioners (local authorities) ensure that they commission services that inform the person's general practice and supplying pharmacy when adults receiving social care in the community start to have medicines support.
Adults receiving social care at home have their general practice and supplying pharmacy told if they start having help with their medicines. This means that their GP and pharmacist know who to contact if there are any changes to the person's medicines or to their support needs.
Source guidance
Managing medicines for adults receiving social care in the community NICE guideline NG67 (2017), recommendations 1.3.1 and 1.3.2
Definitions of terms used in this quality statement
Medicines
All prescription and non-prescription (over-the-counter) healthcare treatments, such as oral medicines, topical medicines, inhaled products, injections, wound care products, appliances and vaccines.
[NICE's guideline on managing medicines for adults receiving social care in the community]
Social care provider
A provider organisation, registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide community adult care services, that directly employs care workers to provide personal care and support in a person's home.
[NICE's guideline on managing medicines for adults receiving social care in the community]