Potential Advantages of a Medicines Helpline

Re-admission Rates

• Advice post-discharge could reduce the 5-8% admissions caused by medicines and avoid Trust financial penalties

Support for Ward Staff

• Not a replacement for discharge counselling, but a back-up. 
• Assurance that patient has access to professional contact once home.

Patients avoid harm

• Adverse effects picked up early.
• Interactions avoided.
• Non-adherence corrected so patients get full benefit of treatment.

Patients’ Opinion of Trust

• Personalised advice on request should improve patient experience and satisfaction.
• “Picker” reports can show patient dissatisfaction with medicines info.
• Helpline is a positive message from Trust to local media.

Trust targets

• E.g. urgent care, patient satisfaction, re-admissions

RCP Hospital Standards

• Helpline meets descriptor 1.2 of RCP Professional Standards for Hospital Pharmacy Services

Risk Awareness/ Planning

• Early warning for Trust about areas of risk, enabling prevention of harm.
• Prevention of complaints and litigation. 
• Picks up critical incidents and errors.

NHS Constitution

• Patients have a right to information about their treatments.

Efficient use of Resources

• Service is cheap to run but meets needs of large population.
• Innovative, bespoke approach to preventing harm.

Info Between Care Settings

• Helplines could be part of a solution to the information gaps that patients experience.

National Policy

• Working in partnership with people and communities is statutory guidance for integrated care boards, NHS trusts and foundation trusts.

Equity & Excellence

• Helpline may improve outcomes (e.g. adherence) and puts patient need at heart of services.
• A service which may reduce GP/ED visits