MP hails computerised pharmacy system
14 December 2009
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Bridgwater MP Ian Liddell-Grainger visited Oak Trees residential home in the town on Friday to see a demonstration of a new and innovative computerised pharmacy system.
The Proactive Care System designed by Pharmacy Plus aims to improve control of the dispensing of medication, and uses barcode technology through a hand-held device which holds complete information about the care home’s residents and their prescriptions. Staff must scan all medication before it is dispensed and are aided by photo identification and medication timing alarm features.
The system is in use at five homes run by Taunton-based Somerset Care Group, and a further ten homes across the UK, all of which are evaluating the system as part of a research programme by the University of the West of England. The results will be available next year. It was developed as a solution to the problem of medication errors in care homes, which research suggests has affected 70% of care home residents in the UK.
During his visit Mr Liddell-Grainger was given a demonstration of the equipment by staff at the home and representatives from Pharmacy Plus including its Chief Executive. He commented on the ‘wonderful system, which works well’.
Tariq Muhammad, Chief Executive of Pharmacy Plus, said, “We are proud of the joint partnership between Pharmacy Plus and Somerset Care which has helped create this solution that will benefit care home residents in the UK.” The Proactive Care System is currently unique and helps staff in Care Homes offer an unprecedented level of personal care to their patients.
The Somerset Care Group is one of the largest not-for-profit companies in the South of England. Somerset Care are based in Taunton and operate 42 care homes in Somerset, Gloucestershire and the Isle of Wight, which provide residential and nursing care for over 1,400 residents, and also, through their home care services, undertake over 36,000 hours of community care every week of the year in fifteen local authority areas.
Pharmacy Plus is a specialist pharmaceutical service provider to Care Homes, based in Bristol and supplies over 300 homes across many parts of the UK.
- Notes to the Editors -
The Somerset Care Group is one of the largest not-for-profit care companies in the UK. With services covering southern England from Cornwall to Sussex, it embraces five principal areas of business activity.
- Somerset Care Ltd provides residential and nursing care, including specialist care for people with dementia, in 25 care homes in Somerset and 1 in Gloucestershire.
- Somerset Care at Home provides personal care and assistance for 4000 older people and younger adults with physical and learning disabilities living in their own homes in Devon, Somerset, West Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Torbay, Bath and North East Somerset.
- Isle Care provides residential care for adults with learning disabilities and older people in the Isle of Wight.
- Acacia Training & Development Ltd provides training for company staff and external purchasers throughout the south of England.
- Echoes Community Care has bases in Havant, Andover, Church Crookham, Egham and Basingtoke, and provides domiciliary care services to people in their own homes throughout Hampshire, West Sussex, Surrey and South Berkshire.