What is Medicines Management?
This is defined by NICE as ‘the safe and effective use of medicines to enable the best possible outcomes’
Who are we?
We are a team of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and prescription clerks providing a medicines management service for
- Creech Medical Centre;
- Lister House Surgery;
- North Petherton Surgery;
- Oaklands Surgery;
- Symphony South Healthcare;
- Symphony North Healthcare;
- Warwick House Medical Practice.
We work alongside the GPs and other teams in the surgery to provide a joined-up service on all things related to medication.
Prescriptions
A ‘prescription’ is defined as an instruction written by a medical practitioner that authorises a patient to be issued with a medicine or treatment.
How do I request a prescription?
Recommended method - Using the NHS App Order medication at any time, from anywhere, without waiting for the surgery to open or waiting in phone queues. It enables you to track prescription status in real-time, and select a convenient pharmacy, saving time and reducing pressure on NHS services (Guide to order your repeat prescription).
This app is available on Apple and Android.
For alternative ways to request your prescription, please select your surgery from the links below:
To ensure you don’t run out of your medication, we ask that you request a repeat prescription about 7 to 10 working days before your current supply is due to end.
Our Team
Are highly qualified experts in medicines and play a valuable role in GP practices ensuring that your medication is safe and appropriate for you.
Pharmacists can ensure that you are getting the maximum benefit from your medication regime; this means ensuring that you are on the right medications at the right dose, and that you take them at the right time.
It is important to ensure there is continuity of your care when you move between healthcare providers: this might be when you are discharged from hospital, or if you have been to an outpatient’s appointment. The pharmacist will be able to review your medication for any long-term condition, and also to work with you to adjust dosages where needed, for example blood pressure medication or pain medication
You may be given an appointment to see or speak to a pharmacist to carry out a review of your medication. Our pharmacists can give you the time you need to discuss your concerns and help to ensure that you are getting maximum benefit. It can be helpful to bring all your medication with you to the appointment. Many simple reviews and queries can also be dealt with over the telephone.
Our pharmacists have a wealth of experience in hospital and/or community pharmacy and most have progressed through vigorous training to become prescribers themselves. They work as a team alongside the GPs and other staff, helping to ensure we provide great care for you, our patients.
(also known as pharmacy technicians) are registered healthcare professionals. They have a range of experience in hospital and/or community pharmacy. They support the pharmacists, GPs and other staff with the skills and knowledge they bring to the team.
Like the pharmacists, they too will help to ensure the continuity of your care when you are discharged from hospital, or if you have been to an outpatient’s appointment. If there is any change to your medication, they will update your medication details according to letters sent by the hospital and will often call you to discuss any queries that may result. Technicians can help with a range of medication queries, identify an alternative medication if there is a supply problem, and synchronising your medication quantities to help your prescriptions run in line with each other.
Are trained administrative staff who process your prescription requests. They are trained to look out for any routine reviews or blood tests which may be needed, so you may receive a text, a call or a letter inviting you to make a routine appointment.
Our clerks take your calls when you contact us by phone: they will help to resolve your prescription queries, passing relevant information to the technicians or pharmacists. They often liaise with the community pharmacies to help ensure the processes around repeat prescriptions run smoothly.
Medication Synchronisation
If you have multiple medications and you currently order them at different times, please do contact the medicines management team to see whether these can be synchronised.
To request synchronisation of your medications, please complete the following form and email it to the prescription address for your surgery (the email address can be found via the links above).
Wasted Medication
Wasted medication is a huge problem across the country. A sad and all too common sight in a pharmacy is a dustbin bag full of unused medication that has been returned by a patient, or a family member, after having a sort out. Stockpiling medication is a huge problem and presents safety issues should there be children in the house.
For more information, click here
