At NHS Lanarkshire, we are always looking for new ways to improve patient care and enhance safety. Lucy Reilly and Sam Hampton, Advanced Clinical Services Pharmacists in the Hamilton Locality, have done just that with their innovative approach to integrating polypharmacy reviews initially into the Home First model, and then expanding into the wider locality Integrated Community Support Teams (ICSTs).
When the Home First model was first introduced, it was designed to support patients to remain in their own homes for as long as possible, avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions and support discharge without delay. However, there was a critical gap—there was no dedicated pharmacist input to address the complex medication needs of these patients.
Lucy and Sam recognised this as an opportunity to make a real difference to patient care. They proposed the initiative with locality management and collaborated with Home First leaders, General Practices, and the Locality Prescribing Support Team to develop a new process. This process identifies patients with medication care issues such as polypharmacy, falls or compliance issues and ensures they receive holistic and proactive pharmaceutical care. Given some of the complex needs of these patients, most reviews were conducted via domiciliary visits by Sam and Lucy.
This innovative approach to reviewing patients’ medications ensure they are, safe, effective and appropriate and that patients get the most out of their medicines. It reduces risks, improves outcomes, and reduces referrals to GPs for pharmaceutical input.
Lucy and Sam’s leadership has been key. From initial ideas to implementation, they have worked tirelessly to integrate this process across the locality. The pathway was expanded from the Home First team to the full Hamilton Locality ICS team, applying the same principals and referral process. Other Advanced Clinical Services Pharmacists in Hamilton, Scott Robertson and Cara McLaughlin, have also been involved in these medication reviews more recently, given the success and high volume of referrals.
Their collaboration across multiple teams has ensured that patients with complex medication needs receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
This model doesn’t just benefit patients by reducing potential medicines related harm. It also supports healthcare teams by fostering stronger collaboration between different healthcare professionals.
The impact of Lucy and Sam’s work has been significant within the Hamilton Locality, and their innovative approach is to be rolled out across NHS Lanarkshire, to other community teams and general practice pharmacy teams. This will bring the benefits of safe and effective prescribing to even more patients in the community.
This referral pathway was recognised during the 2024 Scottish Healthcare Awards and collected the award for Primary Care Pharmacy, Initiative of the Year.
A big shout out to Lucy Reilly and Sam Hampton for their dedication, innovation, and commitment to improving patient care in NHS Lanarkshire.
