Pharmacy's contribution
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The New Ways of Working initiative is, of course, evidence of pharmacy’s contribution to the care and use of medicines of those with mental illness and LD.
Pharmacy's contribution
The New Ways of
Working initiative is, of course, evidence of pharmacy’s contribution to the
care and use of medicines of those with mental illness and LD. As described in
other chapters, pharmacy focuses on the safe and effective use of medicines and
the importance of tailoring regimens to the individual. The evidence base from
across pharmacy can be drawn upon, for example for reconciliation on admission,
but there are also examples specific to mental illness and LD. Maidment et al.
identified the errors that occur in mental healthcare. The literature also
contains a number of examples of how pharmacists can contribute, but evidence
of impact is less common. Finley et al. reported a systematic review of
pharmacists’ impact in mental health in 2003, noting: ‘most of the
investigations were small, and significant limita-tions in study design limited
further comparison’, though they went on to acknowledge the many anecdotal
reports of success and urged further trials. Pharmacists working in mental
illness and LD do need to help develop the evidence base to ensure pharmacy’s
contribution with regard to safety and improved outcomes is understood.
Consultant pharmacists working in men-tal illness and LD may have a
particularly important role to play in ensuring this happens since, alongside
their leadership role, the posts should contain significant elements of
research and development. Chapter 18 discusses this in more detail.
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