Medicines Use Review
50% of people are not taking their medicines correctly: are you one of them?
What is a Medicines Use Review?
A Medicines Use Review (MUR) or medicines check up is a meeting with your pharmacist
to talk about:
- The medicines you are taking
- What they do
- How well they work for you
- How to get the most out of them
It usually takes place in your local pharmacy (chemist). It is an NHS service
– you don't need to pay for it.
The meeting is to:
- Help you to find out more about the medicines you are taking.
- Pick up any problems you are having with your medicines. Improve the effectiveness
of your medicines. There may be easier ways to take them, or you may find
you need fewer medicines than before.
- Get better value for the NHS – making sure that your medicines are
right for you prevents unnecessary waste. The pharmacist you meet with will
have questions to ask you, and may suggest changes to your medicines. You
may have concerns or questions that you want to ask. You can ask anything
at all about your medicines. Remember you can ask your pharmacist questions
at any time, but a review will give you both more time to concentrate on you
and your medicines.
Medicines and how they work
Medicines work in different ways, so to get the most out of them, you should
always read and follow the instructions in the information leaflet supplied
with them.
- Some are taken before you eat so they get into your system quickly.
- Some don’t work properly if taken with certain foods, herbal remedies
or other medicines.
- Some are taken with or after food because there is a chance that they could
otherwise irritate your stomach.
- Do not crush them unless your health professional has told you to. Some
need to be released into your system slowly, and crushing them could allow
them to get into your system too fast.
Always ask your pharmacist about how to choose and use your medicines safely
and effectively – they can help you to ensure you get the maximum benefit
from them.
How can MUR reduce NHS costs
The NHS spends £8billion on medicines a year and issues 752 million prescriptions.According to the National Audit Office, medicines worth over £100million are returned unused every year but this is a cautious estimate of the total drugs wastage as it only relates to medicines actually returned. The Department of Health estimates that as many as 1 in 9 households have at least one pre...
More Do you have an urgent problem with a medicine?
If there is an urgent problem with medicines, don’t wait for a medicines
use review.
If you, or somebody else, notice one of the things on this list, don’t
delay.
If you have taken too much of any medicine.
If you have an allergic reaction to a new medicine (such
as wheezing, rash, swelling or fainting).
If you notice a serious side effect or any unusual symptom...
More What is an Allergy?An allergy is a reaction of your immune system to a substance known as an allergen which is generally harmless and does not bother most people. Read on for more details.
More
Confidential Consultation
There will be a private area within the pharmacy,
where you can sit down together and can't be overheard by customers or staff.
Your details, and your discussion, will be kept private.
You can talk openly and your questions or worries will be listened to. Only you and your GP will normally receive a record of the meeting. The pharmacist will listen and help.
They will be ready to hear your concerns and your questions.
You can be open with them and say whatever you want in these meetings.
Your pharmacist will only know about the medicines you have received from that pharmacy.
They will not have a record of prescriptions you've picked up from another pharmacy, medicines prescribed by a hospital, medicines bought without a prescription, or herbal medicines. They will not have your medical history or details about your illness. So it's important to tell them as much as you can.
All the pharmacists who offer this particular service will have been assessed to make sure they have the right knowledge and skills.