In the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, we quickly identified that there would be a proportion of patients who would overorder their medicines and stockpile, but that there would also be a number of patients who would be left behind because they were unfamiliar with the technology to order their medicines online and so were at risk of not getting the medicines they needed if shielding and without friends and family to support them.
We therefore developed some supporting materials including patient FAQs on ordering and accessing medicines during the pandemic, along with amending our guidance on using the NHS App and increasing utilisation of eRD within the practices.
We reached out to other professionals (e.g. councillors, and community pharmacists) and volunteers who were supporting those vulnerable shielding patients to ensure they were aware of how to assist those patients with getting their medicines, and provided the materials to them to distribute and incorporate into their own correspondence with those patients. This maintains the coordinated consistent message to patients and others supporting them on how patients should obtain their medicines during COVID-19.
We know directly that the FAQ document directly helped at least 12 patients to order their medicines during the pandemic. Indirectly the impact will have been much wider than 12 patients.
