Aims and strategy

Aims and strategy

The aim of the MI service is to facilitate high-quality patient care, through the promotion of the safe, effective and economic use of medicines, by the pro-vision of accurate, timely, appropriate, evidence-based and unbiased information and advice on all aspects relating to the use of medicines. This has been the core principle that has formed the framework of the service since its inception. By fulfilling these aims the service has achieved its current high level of use, acceptability and recognition amongst users and the broader NHS.

To maintain the level and quality, core principles have been developed that underpin all the activities of the service. These are set out in Table 8.2.

Table 8.2 Core medicines information principles

1. Apply evidence-based principles in the provision of impartial, evaluated, accurate and timely information. This will be in a suitable format, that is, pertinent to the user’s needs and readily understood

2. Provide professional advice to support and influence clinical decisions with respect to patient care and to enable the individual to make a balanced choice

3. Keep abreast of developments in therapeutics, professional practice, technology and information sources to support continuing professional development within the specialty and to ensure that the service provided is as up to date as possible

4. Be readily accessible and responsive to user needs

5. Network with others to share information and experience at local, regional and national levels

As NHS changes have given opportunities to develop MI there have also been increased demands on the capacity of the MI service. In response, a 5-year UK-wide strategy, Better Information for Managing Medicines, published in 2000, established a framework for the provision and develop-ment of the service. The strategy, approved and endorsed by health depart-ments across the UK, was implemented throughout the service. The strategy was revised in 2007 to align it with prevailing NHS strategy. The revised MI strategy, Effective Information for Managing Medicines, has five key strategic aims:

·           Reflect a patient-focused NHS.

·           Develop the service to healthcare providers.

·           Develop healthcare staff.

·           Support NHS commissioning and planning bodies.

·           Collaborate effectively with other organisations at national level.

Some of the main drivers for the development of the service through this strategy include the development of primary care trusts as the lead for healthcare provision and commissioning, the continued role of UKMi in the development of NHS Direct in England and Wales and NHS24 in Scotland, the expansion of new independent non-medical prescribers (nurses, pharmacists and others), the provision of guidance from national bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) and All-Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) and the need for effective management of new medicine entry. The development of evidence-based information tech-nology platforms, especially the National electronic Library for Medicines (NeLM) and NHS Evidence, also influences the MI agenda, as they make information on medicines directly available to health professionals and the public.