network across an extended period of time. In relation to our 100 hour pharmacy contractors we have considered the current provision from contractors and the potential for these contractors to apply to reduce their hours in the future based on the PNA. We have concluded that our current 100 hour contractors perform a crucial role in opening up access in the early morning, evening, late evening and at weekends. We have concluded that are no current gaps. 7.5 Advanced Services Since 2005 community pharmacies have been able to provide medicines use reviews (MUR) under the Advanced Services within the community pharmacy contract. Contractors may choose to provide MURs and must make a declaration of conformity with the requirements to provide. The MUR service is intended to improve patients' understanding of their medicines; highlight problematic side effects & propose solutions where appropriate; improve concordance; and reduce medicines wastage, by encouraging the patient to take medicines correctly and only order the medicines they require. The provision of Advanced Services is linked to the provision of consultation areas within pharmacies; this was explored in some depth in the pharmacy contractor questionnaire. 7.5.1 Premises and consultation areas The presence of consultation areas in many pharmacies presents an opportunity to commission pharmacies in new and potentially exciting ways to deliver new services. In some respects this is already happening through commissioning enhanced and other locally commissioned services. 7.5.2 Medicines Use Reviews The MUR service is intended to improve patients' understanding of their medicines; highlight problematic side effects & propose solutions where appropriate; improve concordance; and reduce medicines wastage, by encouraging the patient to take medicines correctly. The provision of MURs in Solihull has increased over the past 5 years and this can be seen from the HSCIC data. The patient survey informs us that there is a good awareness of this service. Almost all (95%) of pharmacies in the Borough provide this service. MUR’s are a very useful tool to help the Solihull Health and Wellbeing Board and Solihull CCG to achieve their strategic aims by improving the quality of life for people with multiple long-term conditions, reduce hospital admissions and Increase life expectancy - by tackling specific health conditions for certain age groups. However the evidence base for the effectiveness of MURs remains unclear and requires further evaluation. Figure 22 Mean number of Medicine Use reviews per provider by West Midlands Cluster
Question 12 was designed to provide information awareness, usage and demand for the following 14 current and potential pharmacy services. The full descriptions used in the questionnaire are given below with details of current availability at Solihull pharmacies. Description Current availability Minor Ailments service (advice and support to eligible people and where appropriate supply of medicines without the need for a prescription or purchase) Yes Smoking cessation (service to support you in quitting smoking) Yes Emergency hormonal contraception (morning pill) Yes Early pregnancy testing Yes Disposal of unwanted medicines Yes End of Life / palliative care service Yes Language access service (advice and support to patients in a language understood by them) Yes NHS repeat prescription service (a service by which some patients are able to obtain supplies of their regular medication without the need to get a new prescription every time) It is offered Medicines use review (private discussion with your pharmacist about your medication to ensure you are getting the best from your medication) It is offered Vaccination programme (for seasonal flu, travel vaccines, childhood immunisations) Flu –Yes Others-No NHS Screening Services (e.g. Diabetes, HIV, Hepatitis C, Chlamydia) Chlamydia -Yes Hepatitis –Yes Diabetes/HIV- No Management of patients with Long Term Conditions (e.g. diabetes, asthma or COPD) Improves a patient’s understanding and use of medicines No NHS Health check Service (e.g. blood pressure or Cholesterol tests) No Phlebotomy (collection of blood samples) No Alcohol cessation service (help with alcohol misuse) No The structure used for Q12 is shown below. Unfortunately people did not respond to it as intended. Many people only ticked one option per service. Only 1 in 4 of those who said they had used a service also said they were aware of the service (It should be 100%). This misunderstanding occurred with both the paper and online survey. The data has consequently been adjusted; assuming awareness for all service users. The following chart compares the awareness and usage of the 14 services.
Pharmacy questionnaire – core hours were used for consistency but in hindsight it may have been more accurate to represent total opening hours. Transcription errors have now been rectified. “Specific opening times.” (PPG Chair) When the PNA draft went out to consultation appendix 10; the appendix 10 representing information on opening times was not ready. The complete document will have detailed information for core opening hours. Pharmacy data provided by Solihull Pharmacy contractors is correct as of January 2015. Opening hours are for guidance only and subject to change.