Operating a patient medicines helpline: a survey study exploring current practice in England using the RE-AIM...

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Services
• Health Services Research
• Patient Support Programs

Background:

• Patient medicines helplines offer crucial support post-hospital discharge.
• The provision and operational details of these helplines within NHS Trusts were previously unknown.
• The RE-AIM framework was utilized to assess helpline data in England.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of patient medicines helplines across NHS Trusts in England.
• To evaluate how these helplines are operated and their adherence to national standards.
• To gather data on the reach, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of these services.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was distributed to Medicines Information and Chief Pharmacists in 226 NHS Trusts in England in 2017.
• The survey assessed helpline provision, user reach, operational standards, and perceived benefits.
• Data collection focused on adherence to Royal Pharmaceutical Society endorsed standards.

Main Results:

• 52% of NHS Trusts reported providing a patient medicines helpline, with significant variation across trust types (acute: 67%, mental health: 29%).
• Helplines primarily served discharged inpatients (98%), outpatients (95%), and carers (93%), with limited public access (22%).
• Compliance with national standards varied, particularly low for promotion (3% met 'commendable' standards) but high for availability (86% met 'satisfactory').

Conclusions:

• Slightly over half of NHS Trusts in England provide patient medicines helplines, but provision is lower in mental health and community trusts.
• Adherence to national standards, especially regarding helpline promotion and availability, requires improvement.
• Recommendations include enhancing promotional strategies, contact methods, and service hours to increase helpline utilization and patient benefit.