Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes Programme For Mid and South Essex CCGs

Expression of Interest: Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes | Pharmacy Integration Fund

Mid and South Essex STP, covering the populations of Basildon & Brentwood CCG, Castle Point & Rochford CCG, Mid Essex CCG, Thurrock CCG and Southend CCG, are looking for expressions of interest for a provider to participate in their Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes Programme.

The Pharmacy Integration Fund was set up in October 2016 to support the implementation of the health services transformation outlined in the Five Year Forward View. This incorporates the Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes Programme that focuses on care home residents, across all types of care home settings and aims to deploy dedicated clinical pharmacy teams that will:

- Provide care home residents with equity of access to a clinical pharmacist prescriber as a member of the multidisciplinary team, with the supporting infrastructure for achieving medicines optimisation according to need

- Provide care homes with access to pharmacy technicians who will ensure the efficient supply and management of medicines within the care home, supporting care home staff and residents to achieve the best outcomes from medicines.

The objectives of the Programme are:

- To deliver all elements of the Managing Medicines in Care Homes NICE guideline 11 and quality standards 12 and support the implementation of the EHCH framework for care home residents in England To achieve medicines optimisation for care home residents through access to a clinical pharmacy team with the supporting infrastructure

- To ensure that residents and/or their families or carers are given the opportunity to be fully involved in decisions about their medicines

- To ensure care home pharmacy professionals work as part of the MDT as described within the EHCH framework

- To improve care home resident health outcomes

- To increase the appropriate use of technology and data in supporting medicines optimisation and the wider management of medicines in care homes.

Mid and South Essex STP, are looking for a provider that can host the new pharmacy professions and work with the CCGs to develop a credible proposal that meets the requirements of the Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes Programme, set out below.

The funding available from the pharmacy integration fund, based on our care home population of 6,039, would be £292,834 in Year 1. This would fund 4 pharmacist(s) and 1.3 Pharmacy Technician(s) (Whole Time Equivalents), although there are options for local variations.

In Year 1, 100% of the funding will be available to the provider. In Year 2, the funding reduces to 50% (£146,417). The funding for subsequent years would be dependent on the demonstrated success of the Programme.

The requirements of the provider are to:

- Commit to identifying and delivering savings for CCG in Year 1, to meet at least the 50% funding requirement in Year 2- opportunity for gain share arrangement if this is exceeded.