Pharmacists sent into care homes amid fears pensioners are being put at risk by drugs cocktail

Posted on May 10, 2019 by recoverynetwork:Toronto

“Healthcare” has become all about drugs.
Time to make it about care and about people and about living a life worth living.

Here’s a small and welcome change happening in UK.

Where 400, 000 people living in “care homes” take on average seven different types of medications each.
Now, pharmacists are being sent it to check.

“Health chiefs are concerned that vulnerable people are being left for years on a cocktail of such drugs, leaving them heavily sedated or exposed to dangerous side-effects. They fear over-medication is risking lives and fuelling hospital admissions among frail pensioners.”

A pilot scheme resulted in a 44% drop in meds use.
That’ a pretty big drop.
And, therefore,  a pretty big overprescription.

Drugs can have a useful role but don’t and can’t ever replace care.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/05/09/pharmacists-sent-care-homes-amid-fears-pensioners-put-risk-drugs/

Pharmacists sent into care homes amid fears pensioners are being put at risk by drugs cocktail

old hands Laura Donnelly, health editor
Pharmacists will be sent to carry out checks on care homes amid fears a generation of pensioners is being subjected to the chemical cosh.
Health officials say that up to four in 10 hospital admissions by elderly residents could be avoided if they were given the right care, without over-use of medication.
Around 400,000 people live in nursing and residential homes in England – taking an average of seven types of medication daily.
Health chiefs are concerned that vulnerable people are being left for years on a cocktail of such drugs, leaving them heavily sedated or exposed to dangerous side-effects. They fear over-medication is risking lives and fuelling hospital admissions among frail pensioners.
Between them, care home residents spend around 2 million days in hospital annually, and account for around 250,000 emergency hospital admissions.
NHS England will today announce that thousands of pharmacists and pharmacy technician will be sent  into care homes to carry out checks on residents, reviewing their medicines.
The measures aim to improve the quality of life, cut hospital stays and reduce over-medication.
Professor Alistair Burns, national clinical director for dementia and older people’s mental health at NHS England, said: “Older people deserve the best possible support and with many care home residents living with complex conditions, bringing in extra expert health advice will mean the NHS can reduce avoidable drug use, improve care and free up vital funding for better treatment.
“People want to know their mum or grandad is being properly looked after and helping them to live well and with the best possible quality of life is key to that.”
More than 200 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians have already been employed to carry out the checks, with plans to recruit thousands more.
England’s chief pharmaceutical officer Keith Ridge said: “Too many patients are prescribed medicines they may no longer need or may need adjusting, which is why the NHS Long Term Plan is funding expert pharmacy teams across the country to give tailored advice to care home residents and extra support to staff to increase the safety and quality of older people’s care.
“Rather than assuming there’s a pill for every ill, increasing the availability of specialist health advice in care homes will mean residents get more personalised treatment, reduced chances of being admitted to hospital and people will have a better quality of life, for longer.
A pilot scheme introduced in Nottingham saw a 44 per cent drop in the number of ambulances called out to care homes.
Under the scheme, 23 care homes were linked with 12 GP surgeries, with doctors, district nurses, dieticians and clinical pharmacists sent to carry out detailed reviews of residents.
Over three years, it led to 44 per cent fewer ambulance call outs, 48 per cent fewer ambulances going to Accident & Emergency and 28 per cent fewer residents ending up in hospital. 
Previously, residents in care homes were all linked to different GP surgeries.  Now each home is linked to one practice, with visits from the clinical pharmacy team who review the medicines of those on multiple prescriptions.
If ambulances are called, paramedics can speak to a duty doctor straight away for advice about a patient instead of automatically taking them to hospital.

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