UPDATE INFORMATION: 'Transfer of Care Around Medicines (TCAM) service'

Written by RichardBuxton on Monday 12th February 2018

The number of patients referred using TCAM is rising each month. It's now important to ensure all community pharmacies review their processes and ensure that all TCAM patient referrals are acted upon and reported back on PharmOutcomes

Over 150 patients have now benefitted from the hospital discharge team working more closely with community pharmacies. The rate of its use is increasing as the hospital discharge team's confidence and familiarity of using it grows each week.

As the volume rises, it's now important to ensure every patient referred to their pharmacy receives a telephone call, an invite to come in for a chat and a MUR, NMS or appropriate interaction every time. This has been reiterated in a bulletin issued by NHS England - South (Wessex) on behalf of the LPN which is shown below:

Transfer of care to community pharmacy

The key message is Read, Ring, Report.

Last week there was a big step up with 37 referrals in just one week, however on close inspection, it appears that 28 of these were not initially acted upon within the first few days by the 26 pharmacies that got referred to.

It's very important to follow up these patients promptly - after all they are expecting you to call, they are loyal to your business and they will be disappointed if you appear to take no action. It's therefore essential in both respects of great patient care & ethics as well as sustaining your ongoing pharmacy items trade.

This is therefore a great opportunity for pharmacies to ENHANCE their reputation in their community or it's a risk to DAMAGE it by not following through on actions expected.

ACTION REQUIRED: Please review your daily processes to ensure that TCAM best practices (shown below) are in action every day and that all actions are reported fully on PharmOutcomes.

Our best practice guidance is:

  • sign on to PharmOutcomes at the beginning of the day and check to see if any new referrals show as an unread message on your home screen. Ensure that the team share this responsibility to ensure continuity every day
  • contact the newly referred patient within 3 days of receiving the TCAM referral and organise a time for them to come in
  • log into the Service called 'Referral from University Hospital Southampton' on PharmOutcomes
    • confirm 'REJECT' on the services screen if the patient is unable to be seen and enter the reason
    • or
    • confirm 'ACCEPT' on the Services screen if you have organised a consultation
  • provide an MUR, NMS or other appropriate service / advice when you see the patient
  • log back into the Service called 'Referral from University Hospital Southampton' on PharmOutcomes
    • confirm 'COMPLETE NOW' and state what support has been provided

Finally

The presentation from James Allen, UHS Deputy Chief Pharmacist is attached here. It shows screenshots required for data entry (slides 10 - 14) as well as a reminder of why this service is so important.

Also re-read this initial introduction letter to pharmacies and share with your team - it's a great summary with screenshots.

ACTION SUGGESTED: Show the slides & letter to the whole team, test understanding and agree individual responsibilities

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