FOI Ref: 0178FOI1920
10th January 2020
Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Request for Information
We are pleased to respond to your request for information and our response is set out below:
Request / Response
My name is [redacted] and my contact details are below. I am working on a [redacted]. We are exploring the potential for improving the use of medicines in care homes through applying analytic techniques to data collected by [redacted] electronic medication administration record (eMAR). The system, installed in community pharmacies and care homes, captures data about prescribing, dispensing and administration of medicines within care homes. We believe that this data could be used to support care homes and health care professionals in ensuring that medicines use by residents is safe and effective. We also believe that the analytics may be beneficial to CCGs. In order to help identify the potential benefits of data analytics using eMAR data at CCG level, please could you provide me with the following information:
1. What data does the CCG have access to on medicine prescription, dispensing and administration in care homes and how is this collected?
Sheffield CCG does not hold information on medication prescription, dispensing and administration in care homes.
2. What policies do you currently have within the CCG for monitoring, reviewing and optimising medicine use in care homes? None.
3. How is medicine prescribing, dispensing and administration within care homes in the CCG monitored? Sheffield CCG does not monitor the prescribing, dispensing and administration of medication in care homes.
4. Are there any specialist teams within the CCG responsible for reviewing medicines within care homes, such as medicine optimisation pharmacists, and if so, what is the standard process for this? For example:
a. Who is involved in these reviews? Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians
b. How often are these reviews conducted? Ad-hoc
c. How are individuals identified for review? Opportunistically
d. What is the standard process for conducting these reviews? 3 levels of medication review depending on need
e. How long do these reviews take? Variable
f. What tools or frameworks are used to guide the review and/or decisions around deprescribing? NICE/CPPE training pathway/ professional judgement
g. How are outcomes of the review assessed? Record of changes made and record of financial impact quantified
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