Medicines Care & Review Service (MCR)
Introduction
The MCR is for anyone with a long-lasting or chronic condition and is available for free through the NHS. It is designed to help patients manage the medications they take for their condition and our pharmacists are trained experts who can ensure you get the most from them through regular consultations.
Once registered for the MCR, our pharmacists will check all your medicines, discuss any problems with them and decide whether a MCR care plan is appropriate. This means you will get regular advice and care about your medication, with the pharmacist giving you a copy of the care plan which you can share with your GP.
While you may be on a repeat prescription, you can also arrange for serial prescriptions, which allow you to receive some medication on a long-term prescription. If this is something you are interested in, please speak to one of our pharmacists who can advise.
More information about care planning:
If the pharmacist believes that a care plan would be best for you, they will discuss any problems you are experiencing with your medicines and what you would like to see happen. They will then use this information to create a care plan with you, which sets out actions that both you and your pharmacist will take to help with your medication. This care plan will then be regularly reviewed and updated.
The care plan will include the following:
. Problems you have identified with your medication, such as difficulty in swallowing pills, any unpleasant side effects and help with remembering to take it.
. What the pharmacist will do to help, such as making it easier for the medicines to be taken.
. What you and the pharmacist agree is needed to help with these problems, for example asking your GP to change tablets to a liquid or ones which are easier to swallow.
The pharmacist may ask if they can contact your doctor to share some information and will then work with the plan, which will be kept safely by the pharmacy. As all staff who work within the NHS or alongside the NHS are legally required to keep your personal information confidential, only a pharmacist is able to look at your plan. You are able to ask for a copy to be printed for your records.
What happens when I have a care plan?
There will be regular reviews of your care plan by the pharmacist with you, usually when you are in the pharmacy collecting your repeat prescription. Occasionally, the pharmacist may need to speak to you about the care plan and this will always be done in private. Due to regular checking of the care plan, the pharmacist may update it to ensure you are getting the most out of your medication. Similarly, if your healthcare requirements change, your plan may need to be amended. Anyone who is registered for the NHS MCR service is able to have one of these care plans, although it may not require lots of detail if you are managing your condition and medicines well.
Where can I get more information?
Contact your nearest pharmacy for more information, where one of our staff will be able to answer any queries about making your medication work for you.
Availability
All our pharmacies offer this service.
