NHS East Riding of Yorkshire CCG: Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes (MOCH)

Description

NHS England have introduced a Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes (MOCH) programme, the focus being on care home residents using the Pharmacy Integration Fund (PhIF) to support the deployment of expert pharmacy teams to work in care homes from 2018/19 to 2019/20. The Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes programme focuses on care home residents, across all types of care home settings and aims to deploy dedicated clinical pharmacy teams that will: • Provide care home residents with equity of access to a clinical pharmacist prescriber as a member of the multidisciplinary team, with the supporting infrastructure for achieving medicines optimisation according to need • Provide care homes with access to pharmacy technicians who will ensure the efficient supply and management of medicines within the care home, supporting care home staff and residents to achieve the best outcomes from medicines. The programme is aligned to the Framework for Enhanced Health in Care Homes, which was co-produced by the care home Vanguards. Medicines optimisation and management when integrated within this framework has been shown to: • Improve quality of care through better medicines use • Reduce risk of harm from medicines through medicines optimisation and safer medicines systems and staff training • Release resources through medicines optimisation and waste reduction (estimated by the Vanguards to £223 per resident per year), reduction in hospital admissions and release of care home nurse time.