Appendix 8
Patient Information:
NHS Southern Derbyshire CCG Domiciliary Respiratory Scheme
[Pilot]
Community pharmacists regularly support housebound patients in the delivery and
management of their prescription medicines. This new service enables pharmacists to
visit patients in their own homes to provide the additional support necessary to help
them better manage their asthma/COPD and medicines.
It is also recognised that community pharmacists are ideally placed to review inhaler
technique and provide advice and support to ensure that patients obtain maximum
benefit from their medicines. If inhalers are not used correctly then this can lead to
poorly controlled asthma/COPD and breathing difficulties that could otherwise be
avoided.
To address these issues NHS Southern Derbyshire CCG is supporting this pilot study
to identify the extent to which patients’ breathing problems can be improved through
the additional support of pharmacists. The pilot will improve outcomes by:
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Improving understanding of medication and how it will help control/improve
breathing problems
Providing information to enable patients to see how using their medication and
inhalers effectively will help them manage their condition better (medicines
optimisation)
Giving advice on how to use inhalers correctly, thus ensuring maximum
benefit is gained from inhalers
Reducing the amount of waste/unwanted medication that patients have in their
homes
There are three parts to the service:
1. Initial Home Visit to: (a) see how medication is used and managed in the
home; (b) review inhaler technique and provide advice; (c) create a
Medication Care Plan explaining the different medications; and (d) give
advice on how the respiratory condition can be improved/managed.
2. Monthly contact by the pharmacy to: (a) check to see how patient is
managing; (b) check to see how well controlled the respiratory condition is;
and (c) agree what medication needs to be requested from the surgery.
3. Final Visit to: (a) review Medication Care Plan and identify any
improvements in the patient’s condition; (b) review inhaler technique and
provide advice; (c) advise patient on anything else they can do to improve
their breathing; and (d) assure the patient of continued support after the pilot.
Please sign the consent form if you would like extra help with your breathing
problems and to be involved in the scheme. The pharmacist will contact your GP to
confirm that you would benefit from the scheme. Once approval has been given the
pharmacist and GP will work together to ensure that your participation in the pilot
leads to positive improvements in your breathing problems