The SPS MA function will assist health-care professionals in their management of NHS patients with complex medicines problems to ensure treatment is safe and effective. This service will be delivered through the provision of evidence-based information and advice to the following service users
• Pharmacy and other healthcare professionals including GPs and practice nurses caring for patients in primary and community care settings to include care homes
• Those who commission services on behalf of the NHS
Users will access the service via a single point of contact using a range of communication routes to meet the needs of service users. Hours of operation, i.e. responses received and provided, will initially be from 0900 to 1700 Monday to Friday.
Regular analysis of clinical enquiry data will be undertaken to determine commonly asked or complex questions, or themes about medicines. The result of this analysis will be used to inform SPS outputs published via the SPS website (see Information and resources)
Services and Enquiries outside scope:
• Formulary evaluations and medicine pathway redesign
• Preparing an Individual Funding Request
• Writing a clinical guideline
• Writing a Patient Group Direction (see MUS function)
• Acute poisoning/overdose
• Support for individuals conducting own research
• Delivery of a routine clinical enquiry answering service to individual acute hospitals, mental health or community health service Trusts.