Leanne Black, Advanced Prescribing Support Pharmacist won the poster prize at the recent Scottish Practice Pharmacist & Prescribing Advisers Association Conference, held virtually on 28 October 2020.

Leanne works in Glasgow City HSCP’s North West Locality and is chair of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Pharmacy Care Home Group. The poster summarised the work undertaken to conduct medication reviews via video link with care home residents using NHS Near Me (Attend Anywhere). Attend Anywhere is a web-based platform that allows video call access to NHS services.

Leanne said: “Polypharmacy is a global issue where people are prescribed many medicines, some of which may be no longer needed or are no longer providing benefit. This is why Polypharmacy medication review is a key work stream for this year across primary care for patients on multiple medicines."

Leanne continued: “Prior to COVID-19, I regularly visited some of the care homes within North West Glasgow and carried out polypharmacy medication reviews for those residents within the care home. However due to the pandemic it seemed appropriate to trial virtual medication reviews. The use of Attend Anywhere allowed me to continue to carry out medication reviews with the care home nurse / resident without having to physically visit the care home. The feedback from the care home was really positive. Staff were delighted that I was continuing to review the residents’ medication and felt that using Attend Anywhere was very effective. They also felt that it was great to work together to resolve issues more quickly for the resident.”
 
Sheila Tennant, Lead for Prescribing and Clinical Pharmacy in Glasgow City HSCP North West Locality, said: “Congratulations to Leanne. Her poster summarises the work she has undertaken during COVID-19 with the care homes in the North West, using Attend Anywhere to have remote consultations with the care home. 

"Highlights include: a collaborative approach to stopping several high-risk medicines which reduces the risk of adverse effects, 27 medication reviews carried out in one care home helping to reduce the tablet burden for the patients and carers.This service continues as an activity in the care homes but also as part of the review of our patients on multiple medicines across primary care."