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Meds Information UK

February 22, 2016 By Steve Turner

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Some sources of information on medicines

This resource page is to help you to find helpful information on diagnosis, treatments and the medicines that you are prescribed, from trusted sources. (Don’t forget your health practitioner and Pharmacist will be able to recommend information, particularly for specific conditions such as diabetes or asthma). This is a guide only, not a definitive list.

patient.co.uk (symptom checker) Electronic Medicines Compendium
Medicines for Children Head Meds (mental helath medication)
Choice and Medication (mental health) to access this in your area  see below.
NHS App

You can also download the British National Formulary [BNF] App for free:

Google play link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pharmpress.bnf&hl=en_GB

iTunes link: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/bnf-publications/id1045514038?mt=8


Some notes on these links:

  • *Choice and medication (mental health medicines)  Really helpful information on mental health medicines. Used by doctors and patients. Trusts who have signed up to this are listed on the right hand side. Usually their web site will give you the link, Click here for the Cornwall Link.          Click here for the Lanarkshire Link (Scotland)
  • Electronic medicines compendium  Look for the Patient information leaflets [PILs], they give you an idea how common the side effects are.

Other useful sites:

  • NAM aidsmap ‘HIV & AIDS sharing knowledge changing lives’

Want to keep a record of all your medicines?

  • My Medication Passport

Author: Steve Turner Head of Medicines & Prescribing @MedicineGov 

Steve tweets as @MedicineGovSte

Last updated: 15.08.2019


External content:

This page includes external websites. We do not link to external sites in return for cash, services or any other consideration in kind.

These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only. The author bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.


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Filed Under: 'QuickKLINKS', Children Health, Medicines, MEDSINFO

Medicines Optimisation – what does this mean?? Jargon Buster

August 5, 2014 By Steve Turner

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These accounts are all fictitious but based on real events:

Ben’s holiday – (finding out what a medicine does by accident) :

Ben is a 16 year old boy who has been prescribed a drug for a behavioural condition, it’s a powerful drug (called an antipsychotic) which he has taken for over a year. His parents think it helps, Ben hasn’t said what he really thinks, but accepts the tablet.

A few years ago the family went on holiday to Bulgaria. During the holiday the volcano with the unpronounceable name in Iceland erupted. The family were stuck in Bulgaria waiting for the ash cloud to blow over. They ran out of Ben’s medicine and were unable to obtain any or anything similar. As a result, out of desperation, they gave Ben a saccharin tablet instead, and hoped for the best. He was fine. Over the next few weeks they even noticed an improvement in his mood and behaviour. He seemed to be enjoying life more. When the family returned to the UK they stopped giving him the ‘placebo’ tablets, and he has not needed to take medicines since.

Ian’s secret: (in jargon this is ‘intentional non-adherence’)

Ian is a 35 year old man diagnosed with bipolar disorder. When Ian moved to another part of the country he was allocated a new community psychiatric nurse [CPN] and, as he was unwell at the time, was re-started on medication. Over the next 18 months Ian’s condition improved so his CPN reported a ‘good response to the medication’. It was only after 2 years of knowing him that Ian confided in his CPN that he didn’t take the medication consistently, and never had.

The medicine was lithium, which requires regular blood tests. This is because too much of it is toxic and too little has no effect. Ian revealed that he had only taken it before his blood test days, then always stopped taking it in between.

Ian’s medical notes had stated that he always ‘responded well to lithium’! As a result of Ian being able to trust his CPN, and let on that he wasn’t taking it, his medical records were corrected to say that he did not want to be prescribed lithium, confirming that other options worked much better. These options include some medicines which he had previously ‘borrowed’ from someone else, or bought on the internet. Of course he didn’t tell medical staff about this at the time.

So his choice is now clearly written up, should he become unwell again.

…and now the ‘science bit’. If you want them I can provide references for medicines geeks like me! steve@carerightnow.co.uk

Medicines Optimisation is a powerful term because it brings in the:

  •    Patient’s views and their decision

Clinical people may think they ‘know best’, but in the end it is  the patients (you and I) who will decide whether or not we take the medicine, and we will not always tell the doctor or nurse if we don’t feel we can trust them. Statistically around 50% of people, (all ages all type of people), don’t take their medicines as prescribed.

  • The ‘human factors’ and health beliefs related to having to take medicines

Medicines aren’t always the answer. We may have strong beliefs in favour or against them; these beliefs are hard to change and need to be respected. Basically we usually know what’s right for us.

  • The ‘evidence base’, which means is it known to work?

 People who prescribe medicines (usually doctors or nurses who have the qualification) need to offer the medicines which are proven to be most effective. And there is often a choice.

Repeatedly studies have shown that clinicians have a list of medicines they prescribe for various illnesses in their minds, and this list may bear little or no relation to the evidence available on what works best.

Medicines optimisation is not simply another term for ‘medicines management’, which is generally used to refer to the mechanics of the medicines process. This leads us to consider not just the process of selecting, prescribing; ordering; supplying; administering and monitoring, but also whether the person has enough knowledge to decide to take a medicine, actually takes the medicine and indeed whether the medicine is needed in the first place.

Sometimes people need multiple medicines (referred to as polypharmacy) because of the complexity of their illnesses, but this can be inappropriate if, for example, a medicine is simply added to counteract the side-effect of another medicine.


Author: Steve Turner Head of Medicines & Prescribing @MedicineGov & an Associate Lecturer at Plymouth University.

Click here for Steve’s digital profile


Updated: 28.01.0221

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Filed Under: Jargon Buster, Medicines, Medicines Optimisation

Presentation for Barking Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust 30.10.2019

August 5, 2014 By Steve Turner

Click here for the presentation

M: 07931 919 330    

Twitter: @MedicineGovSte   

YouTube     

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Portfolio:
Co-Creator of  www.patientled.education
MD of Care Right Now Community Interest CompanyInformation Governance & Clinical Lead at CareMeds Ltd.
Providing General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR] & Information Governance Leadership Services for Community Pharmacies
Head of Medicines & Prescribing @MedicineGov #MedLearn
Mental Capacity Assessor for tsf Consultants
Associate Lecturer at Plymouth University

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Filed Under: Care Right Now, CIC, Leadership in Health, NHS, Organisational Culture, Transparency, whistleblowing, Workshops

Culture and Leadership in Health – 3 Steps To Safer Care

August 4, 2014 By Steve Turner

Free lunchtime healthcare seminar and facilitated discussion:

Culture and Leadership in Health – 3 steps to safer care

A whistle stop tour of the main influences including the King’s Fund work on developing collective leadership; the review of whistleblowing in the NHS; sign up to safety campaigns and the importance of human factors in healthcare.

Open to all (places limited so please email or text to book)

Date: Wednesday 24th September 2014

Location Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre, Treliske, Truro, TR1 3FF

Time: Lunch available from 12:15. 12:30 start – finish 13:30 prompt.

Includes a light working lunch.

To book send a blank email to steve@stnov8.co.uk with ‘CRN seminar’ as the header – or text ‘CRN seminar’ to 07968 076 223.

Please indicate how many attendees if more than one, and any dietary requirements.

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Filed Under: Human Factors, Leadership in Health, NHS, Organisational Culture, Transparency, Workshops

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