Care of older people

The virtual ward pharmacist: a new breed

Use of virtual wards, also known as ‘hospital at home’, is increasing across the NHS. With this expansion has come a new wave of job opportunities for pharmacists, but concerns remain over how this new breed of pharmacists will be resourced.…

Factors influencing effective communication when prescribing

Understanding the factors that impact communication is critical for the delivery of person-centred prescribing. This article explores how to identify these factors and develop an optimised communication strategy for each patient.…

How palliative care pharmacists in community practice are improving access to medicines

Tarun Nayyar’s work as a pharmacist at Birmingham Hospice is enabling faster access to specialist medicines for palliative care patients at home.…

How pharmacist-led medication reviews reduced polypharmacy for patients on a virtual ward

By initiating medication reviews for frail patients taking ten or more medicines, Aziza Qureshi's team at North East London NHS Foundation Trust has saved money and improved the overall quality of life for many patients.…

End-of-life drugs at home: closing the care gap

Evidence shows complex medicines systems are resulting in delays to patients receiving vital end-of-life care. This episode of The PJ Pod explores potential solutions to this problem.…

Person-centred structured medication reviews: the care home perspective

Primary care pharmacist Rachel Lewis shares her research into achieving person-centred care when reviewing care home residents' medication.…

How we improved dysphagia care and saved more than £40,000 per year

Having recognised that care home residents at risk of dysphagia were facing long waiting times, Thomas Sauter’s team in Bridgend, Wales, devised a successful pilot that increased capacity and saved more than £40,000 in attributable hospital costs.…

Appropriate management of urinary tract infections in older patients

As one of the most common infections at community level, the implications of a urinary tract infection (UTI) are well known to pharmacists across both primary and secondary care. Older people are particularly at risk of a UTI, with the presence of asymptomatic bacteriuria historically complicating d…

Mental health considerations in older women

An overview of the most common mental health conditions among older women, identifying where pharmacists are best placed to offer support and advice.…

How COVID-19 increased antipsychotic prescribing in care homes

As the care home sector struggled to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a shift to using more antipsychotic drugs. While concerning, this has since provided the push needed to consider new solutions to reduce prescribing of these potentially harmful drugs.…