Medicines Optimisation Flashcards

Which of the following best describes the concept of medicines optimisation as defined by NICE?

Answer: A person-centred approach to safe and effective medicines use to achieve the best possible outcomes

NICE defines medicines optimisation as a person-centred approach to safe and effective medicines use to help patients achieve the best possible outcomes.

Which NICE guideline specifically addresses medicines optimisation: the safe and effective use of medicines to enable the best possible outcomes?

Answer: NG5

NICE guideline NG5, published in 2015, sets out the key principles and recommendations for medicines optimisation in the NHS.

The STOPP/START criteria are primarily used to:

Answer: Identify potentially inappropriate medications and omissions in older patients

STOPP (Screening Tool of Older People's Prescriptions) identifies potentially inappropriate medicines and START (Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment) identifies treatment omissions in older patients.

A patient is found to be taking 12 different regular medications concurrently. This situation is best described as:

Answer: Polypharmacy

Polypharmacy refers to the concurrent use of multiple medications; complex or problematic polypharmacy is typically defined as 10 or more medicines.

A medication review that involves the patient in a detailed discussion of all their medicines and aims to optimise therapy through shared decision making is classified as which level of review?

Answer: Clinical medication review

A clinical medication review is the highest level of medication review, conducted with the patient present, covering all aspects of therapy with the aim of optimising outcomes.

Which of the following is one of the four key principles of medicines optimisation as defined by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society?

Answer: Aim to understand and respect the patient's experience of taking medicines

The RPS four principles include understanding the patient's experience, ensuring medicines are used as intended, applying evidence-based choice, and making medicines optimisation a routine part of practice.

During a home medicines review, a pharmacist notices an elderly patient is using a pressurised metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) without a spacer device. What is the most appropriate intervention?

Answer: Advise the patient that a spacer device is recommended to improve drug delivery and inhaler technique

Spacer devices significantly improve drug delivery from pMDIs, particularly in elderly patients with poor inspiratory coordination, and patient counselling on technique is a key pharmacist intervention.