Expanding the role of pharmacy technicians and foundation rotational pharmacists in delivering patient-centred care at a mental health trust: development of a Medicines Optimisation Intervention Track Tool

Objective Medication has a significant role to play in any hospital admissionand in the road to recovery. Medication interventions to improve patient education are essential for better outcomes. Medication interventions in our unit have not previously followed a systematic procedure. They have not been quantified and do not encompass all patients. This study aims to develop a simple tool that can significantly help the effective prioritisation of the workload among the Medicines Optimisation Team, ensuring patient-centred care is optimised. Methods This is an observational case series study. A basic Excel spreadsheet was designed to capture the team's daily interventions focusing on four main areas: medicines reconciliation, admission, follow-up and discharge. We named it the Medicines Optimisation Interventions Tracking Tool (MOITT). Results Analysis of the data showed a good number of patients receiving interventions: 122 (92%) medicines reconciliation, 77 (58%) admission interventions, 64 (48%) follow-up interventions and 28 (21%) interventions on discharge. This quantification of work revealed factors which prevent achieving a higher percentage of interventions. The criteria to complete the spreadsheet were modified accordingly to address these factors resulting in an improvement in the design of the tool and the protocol to follow to complete it. In addition, it was encouraging to see the team's hard work portrayed in figures for the first time. Conclusion The MOITT developed facilitates an efficient clinical prioritisation of work for the Medicines Optimisation Team. This study has shown that this novel way of working is advantageous to record and keep track of the Medicines Optimisation Team's daily interventions on an inpatient ward, helping to set daily objectives. Implementation of this tool increases targeted patient interventions and team productivity and influences changes in practice to adapt to the service needs. The role of pharmacy technicians is critical for the implementation of this tool and patient outcomes, which is in line with the UK Hospital Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation plan dated 2016.