Medicines Optimisation

Medicines Optimisation is a patient-focused approach to getting the best from investment in and use of medicines.  It requires a holistic approach, an enhanced level of patient centred professionalism, and partnership between clinical professionals and a patient.

Medicines optimisation approach requires multidisciplinary team working. Healthcare professionals will need to work together to individualise care, monitor outcomes, review medicines appropriately and support patients when needed.

Below is a selection of resources that can support medicines optimisation.

General principles of Medicines Optimisation

South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Integrated Care System  Generic Brand Guidance for SYB - June 2025

Medicines Optimisation, Quality Standard, QS120, NICE, 2016

NICE Multimorbidity guidance - September 2016

NICE NG5- Medicines Optimisation Guidance

Shared decision-making (SDM)

Shared decision-making (SDM) is an essential part of evidence-based medicine, seeking to use the best available evidence to guide decisions about the care of the individual patient, taking into account their needs, preferences and values.  SDM supports person centred care, alongside care planning and self-management. 

Resources to support patient decision making

NICE - Shared decision making

NICE - patient decision aids

How to provide patients with the right information to make informed decisions, RPS, 2018

Also see Me and My Medicines.  The Me and My Medicines campaign encourages patients, families and carers to ask questions about their medicines so that they can be helped to get the most benefit and make informed shared decisions.  This leaflet  can be used in consultations to support conversations.

Patient information leaflet to support: 

Evidence Based Tools, Guidance & Resources to support Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs), Polypharmacy and Deprescribing

Resources

ACB Calculator 

Anticholinergic cognitive burden scale, Aging Brain Care, 2012

CPPE Learning Disabilities Hub

Frailty, Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) toolkit

General deprescribing algorithm

MedStopper

NHS SPS Patient Centred Approach

NHS Scotland 7 Steps Medication Review

PrescQIPP IMPACT (Improving Medicines and Polypharmacy Appropriateness Clinical Tool) tool - April 2023

*PrescQIPP Polypharmacy and deprescribing

Reducing medication related falls risk in older adults - Review date November 2027

STOPPFrail (Screening Tool of Older Persons Prescriptions in Frail adults with limited life expectancy): consensus validation (see table 1 under results for agreed STOPPFrail criteria)

STOMP

STOPP Start Toolkit version 3  

*PrescQIPP offers a wide range of resources on SMR, Polypharmacy and Deprescribing, log into PrescQIPP to access these resources.

*To register with PrescQIPP follow this link

 

     

Last updated on 25/08/2023 by deborahmorris8