National
Assembly for Wales
Health
and Social Care Committee
Post-legislative
scrutiny of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010
Evidence
from Royal Pharmaceutical Society – MHM 10
Committee Clerk,
Health and Social Care Committee,
National Assembly for Wales,
Cardiff Bay,
CF99 1NA.
4th
September 2014
Dear Colleague
Post-legislative
scrutiny of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) welcomes the opportunity to
respond to
the
Post-legislative scrutiny of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure
2010. The RPS is supportive of the measure that was introduced in
2010. We recognise that patients needing mental health
support require advocacy and a high level of support from a multi
disciplinary care team.
We are aware that there are many inpatient care pathways and
extensive documentation that is completed as a part of the measure;
however, currently none of these documents are focused on the
patients’ medicines. Now the measure has had time to be
embedded in practice, we feel that it should evolve and incorporate
a medicines reconciliation section to be used during the admission
process and that all patients’ medicines management needs are
considered and documented.
The community pharmacy contract incorporates an expectation that
pharmacies will signpost their patients to other care and support
facilities. We are aware that a document was produced in 2011
that mapped all local mental health services across Wales, this
document should be shared with community pharmacies.
Community pharmacies need to have access to information about local
services. Pharmacists have regular contact with their patients and
are able to detect if a regular patient is feeling low or acting in
a manner that is out of character and causing concern. These
patients may benefit from further counselling and support regarding
mental health issues that pharmacy cannot currently offer. It would
be beneficial if patients could be directly referred from pharmacy
to a counselling service.
Pharmacy is not included in section 2 of the measure as a
profession that can act as a care coordinator. Medicines however
play an important role in mental health therapy and it is important
that access to a specialist mental health pharmacist should be
available to all patients and referral for support should be
considered with any medicine related issues. We strongly
advocate a red flag referral to pharmacy process is embedded into
the current system, giving patients further advice and support
regarding their medicines.
We are aware of a pilot project that is currently being undertaken
in Betsi Cadwalader University Health Board which is looking at
ways of developing the medicines management process within a home
treatment team. The evaluation of this project is due to be
completed in three months time. The initiation of other pilot
projects like this may be beneficial in deciding how to best
support patients with mental health needs.
The medicines used to treat mental health issues need careful
consideration, allowing a balance between controlling symptoms and
managing any potential side effects or issues. Funding must be
available to allow patients to spend time with a pharmacist in a
care setting or in the patients’ home to discuss treatment
options so that decisions can be made in a co-productive
manner. We would also advocate that investment should be made
to support the development of pharmacist independent prescribers in
mental health who will be able to develop an individual
pharmaceutical care plan with each of their patients and prescribe
medicines as necessary.
I trust this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to get
in touch if you require any further information.
Yours sincerely
Jocelyn Parkes
RPS
Director for Wales
The
Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is the professional body for
pharmacists in Great Britain. We represent all sectors of pharmacy
in Great Britain and we lead and support the development of the
pharmacy profession including the advancement of science, practice,
education and knowledge in pharmacy. In addition, we promote the
profession’s policies and views to a range of external
stakeholders in a number of different forums.