In April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the northwest of England reported rapid deterioration of some elderly care home residents. Of concern, was the unpredictable and sudden nature of the symptoms: over hours, they had become agitated, delirious and breathless while coughing uncontrollably. People required fast access to medicines to relieve these symptoms.
Medicines' procurement and supply in England is tightly managed, and the pandemic was likely to put an unexpected pressure on this system. It was therefore critical to balance the preservation of the medicines supply chain whilst ensuring fast access to symptom control for those in need: in effect, it was critical that equitable, safe access to medicines for those living in care homes was designed, and designed-in, rather than added on.
The Medicines and Pharmacy Cell Northwest, led by the Regional Chief Pharmacist, created a Task and Finish group to explore “what good looks like” for patients to receive medicines at bedside within 1 hour of diagnosis, and to influence its design and implementation across the Northwest ICSs.
Outputs included:
