An innovative project from a team at Cornwall's NHS commissioning group which helps people get the best from their medication has won a national award.

NHS Kernow's prescribing team and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Local Pharmaceutical Committee (LPC) scooped the Medicines Optimisation award at last night’s 2016 Healthcare Transformation Awards for their programme to reduce avoidable hospital admissions and reduce drug waste.

The team worked closely with community pharmacists, doctors and nurses to identify elderly and frail people who would be suitable for a review of their medicines. This included people who had been on the same medication for many years.

It is estimated that up to 50 per cent of people do not take their medicines as recommended. Community pharmacists made 150 visits to people in their home to ensure they understood why they had been given certain medicines, they knew how to take it correctly and if it was still appropriate for them to be using it. They also investigated if a cheaper brand could be prescribed. Any drugs that were no longer needed were destroyed.

A personalised action plan was then drawn up to support the patient's specific needs and the team arranged help to take their medicines correctly, if needed. This meant that GPs who would normally conduct medicine reviews could spend the time focusing on other patients.

Research has shown that 6.5 per cent of emergency hospital admissions are associated with avoidable adverse drug reactions, which are more common among the elderly. As a result of the community pharmacists’ work, 30.5 per cent of people who took part in the pilot were likely to have avoided an unplanned hospital admission, with a further 37 per cent of people possibly prevented from having an emergency admission.

Of those prevented from an emergency admission, 60.5 per cent, were not taking their dosage of their medicine as prescribed. A further 43 per cent of people had excess controlled drugs removed from their homes.

NHS Kernow's chairman Dr Iain Chorlton said: “Congratulations to our prescribing team, community pharmacists, doctors and nurses who have championed this way of working to support people. I am incredibly proud them and thrilled their work has been recognised with this prestigious award.

“We are committed to supporting people take control of their health and it's clear reviewing people's medicines makes a significant difference to people's lives and wellbeing.

“Supporting people to take control of their health is not only good for them, but also helps keep people out of hospital and saves the NHS money, which is good for everyone.”

Phillip Yelling, chief officer, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Pharmaceutical Committee (LPC) which represents the county’s community pharmacies, said: “I am really pleased I was able to collect this award on behalf of our community pharmacies and NHS Kernow. The LPC has always been of the view that the people who most need the advice and support of a community pharmacist to get the most from their medication and use it safely, were those least likely to get it, as they were house-bound and unable to visit their pharmacy. This scheme has overcome that problem.”