Guidance for Optimising Medicines Support for Patients

Update 26 August 2021

MCA guidelines have changed over the last 18 months. CPH have received regular feedback from contractors and surgeries alike. Together with the CCG, CPH has developed a new flowchart and poster to assist you with the process. If you would like a colour laminated poster sent to you please contact the CPH office.

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In July 2020 guidance was implemented by East and North Hertfordshire CCG and Herts Valleys CCG that has been developed in conjunction with Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire LMC and Community Pharmacy Hertfordshire that outline the options for understanding best practice with respect to improving access to medicines.

The guidance was updated in relation to existing patients in December 2020 and is being implemented across Hertfordshire:

  • 1 July 2020 for new patients
  • 1 January 2021 for existing patients – a gradual process implemented over time

The aims of the guide are to:

  1. ensure that reasonable adjustments are used when clinically appropriate to support independent living and that these are right for the patient;
  2. increase awareness amongst health and social care staff, as well as patients and carers, on the wide range of support mechanisms that are available to support patient compliance with prescribed therapy;
  3. provide a best practice framework and tools in assessing the level of medicines compliance of a patient and identifying what support is needed/available to help them to take/use medicines correctly;
  4. provide consistent messages to the local health and care economy on resources that are available for professionals and patients on the NHS; and
  5. provide clarity about when it is clinically appropriate to issue seven day prescriptions.

The full guidance with all appendices is available as one document.

If you need further support, have any questions or wish to give any feedback for consideration, please do get in contact with CPH. We are here to support you and welcome your feedback. We cannot help you or make further representations on your behalf if you do not feed in issues that happen on the ground into CPH. Please report any individual issues with MCAs to CPH via SurveyMonkey.