The key to successful delivery is having the necessary belief in yourself

Coalface Contractor and chairman of the LIPCO federated group Mukesh Lad shares tips on managing the delivery of MURs and the NMS

Navin Palmer, of Healthcare Pharmacy in Leicester, asks...

I’m already struggling for time to run my daily dispensing routine so how can I find the time to deliver Medicines Use Reviews or the New Medicine Service?

We all want to be able to create more time! Time has turned into the enemy of everyone, and none more so than the independent pharmacy owner. So, whether you’re struggling with the sheer volume of prescriptions to be filled or getting behind with the latest bulk order because you’re a member of staff down, remember, it happens to us all!

What you really need is a contingency plan. A sort of emergency survival system based on good people management and better planning to allow you to do more of everything.

Confidence counts

Apart from anything else, to deliver a good quality medicines use review or a new medicines service intervention, you need confidence. Confidence comes with the experience of regularly delivering this type of intervention.

If you can’t make a difference to your patients, there’s no point in bothering to deliver services in the first place. The best way to approach your problem is to identify a suitable staff member who has what it takes to recruit patients as well as manage the pharmacy while you’re engaged with that patient in your consultation room.

I suggest you consider attending training with accredited providers and also get your team members to shadow experienced staff from other pharmacies who are already successfully delivering these services. This will allow you all to pick up key tips and best practice. Cross-pollinating skills in this way doesn’t have to cost a lot and it delivers excellent results.

A service delivery model

However, Navin, before you start to deliver MURs on a regular basis, you should plan your service delivery model. You need to create a standard operating procedure (SOP), and it’s always good practice to inform your local GP that you have the skills and capability to provide this service to your patients. I suggest you make an appointment with the practice manager for an informal chat on how best to transfer key information to the practice without much additional paperwork.

The key to successful delivery is having the necessary belief in yourself. From the sound of it, your pharmacy is very busy already so it’s vital to get your entire team engaged. Everyone needs to know exactly what is required of them to support delivery and they must act on the duties within their role. Plan, prepare and act, Navin! With the right training and encouragement you’ll soon get the necessary enthusiasm from everyone.

Before you know it, you’ll be delivering your quota of 400 in no time! Good luck with it, and don’t forget to complete your own paperwork to submit your claims on time.