About
The BLMK Medicines Optimisation Team
Excellent management of medicines by health professionals and well-targeted prescribing for patients and users delivers health improvement.
This is true for both acute and chronic disease, and underpins many of the current initiatives to improve the quality of patient care.
Medicines optimisation is an evidence-based approach to prescribing which balances the safety, tolerability, effectiveness, cost and simplicity of treatments. Good medicines management means that patients receive better, safer and more convenient care.
Medicines Optimisation includes:
- Giving unbiased information about medicines and treatments
- Supporting practitioners and patients to make best use of medicines
- Minimising the harm caused by medicines
- Developing local guidelines to optimise the management of conditions
- Communicating with local hospital trusts
Medicines Optimisation is also important because, in common with all other treatments, medicines incur a direct financial cost to purchase and administer, and potentially wider economic costs due to adverse events or wastage. It is important, therefore, that the potential health gains from medicines are realised and that public money is spent wisely.
