A CALL from your General Practice Pharmacy Team could be the first step to smarter, safer treatment — and it might be coming soon.
In Dumfries and Galloway, the General Practice Pharmacy Teams are identifying patients to contact as part of a drive to review medications that may no longer be doing much good — and in some cases could be quietly causing harm.
The work is part of a broader push to ensure that every prescription is still appropriate and effective, especially as the health board works to tackle a significant financial deficit.
Nikki Holmes is Director of Pharmacy, and she said: “This is about doing what’s best for patients — and making sure we’re using medicines in a way that’s effective, safe and sustainable.
“Some people have been on the same treatment for some time, and we need to make sure that this treatment is still the best for them.
“In line with other Boards nationally, we’re looking at some specific medications where we know there’s a potential for them to be used when there’s perhaps no benefit.”
One of the medications in focus is lidocaine patches. The pain relief product is widely prescribed but may offer only limited or no benefit for many patients — an issue recognised by NHS Boards across Scotland and by the Scottish Government. Patients currently using lidocaine patches may be among the first to be contacted for review.
Nikki Holmes said: “This is about asking the right questions – ‘Is this working? Is it still needed? Is there something better? Should we try to stop it?’
“GP Pharmacy Team staff are experts in medicines, and they can help with that conversation.”
People who receive a call from the GP Pharmacy Team are being encouraged to take the opportunity to discuss their medications — and anyone with questions or concerns can get in touch.
No referral is needed, and the GP Pharmacy Team are able offer advice on whether these treatments are still suitable.
The move comes as NHS Dumfries and Galloway is asking people only to reorder prescription medications they actually need, and to purchase their own paracetamol, where clinically appropriate, rather than receive a prescription – which comes at much higher cost to the Board.
Every effort will help towards the Health Board’s significant £21.3 million savings goal, as it tackles the deficit in the annual pot of funding it receives from the Scottish Government to deliver all local services and supply all necessary medications.
Nikki Holmes said: “This is about making sure every medicine prescribed has a clear benefit.
“Good use of medicines means knowing what medicine will help, at what time – and when use should not, or should no longer, occur.”
As phone calls roll out over the coming weeks, NHS Dumfries and Galloway is encouraging people to take them if they receive them, and recognise them as part of a careful, clinically-led effort to deliver safe care and maximise NHS resources for the benefit of all patients.
