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Medication management is critical to health and social care, yet it can be complex, inefficient, and costly for care providers. Suboptimal medication management can lead to errors, non-adherence, and potentially adverse patient health outcomes. The UK healthcare system has been struggling with medication management issues, and Care Providers have been looking for an effective solution to improve medication management for patients.
This is where PillTime Care comes in. PillTime Care is a new service that simplifies medication management for Care Providers, such as care homes, domiciliary care providers, primary care practices, and hospitals.
The Need for PillTime Care
Non-adherence to medication is a widespread problem in the UK healthcare system, costing the NHS billions of pounds annually. According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), non-adherence to medication is estimated to cause 200,000 deaths annually in Europe alone. The cost of non-adherence to medication to the NHS in England is estimated to be around £500 million annually. Non-adherence to medication can also lead to increased hospital admissions, longer hospital stays, and higher healthcare costs.
Furthermore, the UK healthcare system is facing a shortage of staff. According to the recent NHS report, there is a shortage of more than 150,000 staff in NHS England alone, and the situation is likely to worsen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This staff shortage can increase workload and stress for healthcare professionals, potentially impacting the quality of care they provide to patients.
PillTime Care's Automated Medication Dispensing System
Pouching is a method of dispensing medication in which each dose is pre-packaged in a small pouch. The pouches are labelled with the date and time the medication should be taken, making it easy for patients to keep track of their medication. Pouching has been adopted widely in the USA and Europe, with the Nordics and the Netherlands leading the way. It has been shown to improve medication adherence, reduce medication errors, and save time for healthcare professionals. Several studies in Germany have shown that pouching has increased medication safety by 20x, reducing the number of errors from 1:50 using manual dispensing in a care home to 1:1,000,000, using an automated pouching process.
PillTime Care's pouching system is fully CQC compliant. It ensures that patients receive the correct medication at the right time, improving adherence and reducing the risk of medication errors. The pouches are delivered directly to a healthcare provider or a patient's door with all the information they need to stay on top of their prescriptions. This service is particularly useful for patients who are on multiple medications and may struggle to manage their medication themselves.
Cost Savings with PillTime Care
PillTime Care can achieve significant cost savings for care homes. According to PillTime, using its automated medication dispensing system can save up to 24 hours of a carer's time per week, translating into savings of £440 per week per carer. This cost-saving can be particularly significant for care homes that are short of staff and have many residents who require medication management.
Making medication management scalable
Another advantage of PillTime Care is its scalability. The service uses advanced technologies such as AI and robotics to ensure accuracy and efficiency, allowing Care Providers to manage medication for many patients easily. This means that PillTime Care can be implemented across different health and social care settings, from care homes to hospitals and primary care practices.
Relieving pressure on healthcare staff
Moreover, PillTime Care can also help address the staff shortage in the UK health and social care provider system. According to NHS Digital, there are around 43,000 nursing vacancies in the NHS in England alone. This staff shortage can seriously affect patient care, particularly regarding medication management. By automating the medication dispensing process, PillTime Care can help relieve the burden on health and social care staff and allow them to focus on providing high-quality patient care.
Contact us to speak to an advisor.
If you are a care provider looking to improve your medication management, please call us at 0800 042 0330 to speak to one of our advisors, or email careproviders@pilltime.co.uk, and one and a member of our team will get back to you shortly. Alternatively, please fill in the form here.
References:
Thürmann P, Jaehde U. Abschlussbericht zum Projekt: Arzneimitteltherapiesicherheit in Alten- und Pflegeheimen; Querschnittsanalyse und Machbarkeit eines multidisziplinären Ansatzes.
Lauterbach KW, Lüngen M, Gerber A, Kohaupt I, Büscher G. Quantifizierung der Fehlwurfrate beim Stellen fester oraler Darreichungsformen in drei Pflegeheimen: Endfassung. Köln: Institut für Gesundheitsökonomie und Klinische Epidemiologie; 2007.
Kohaupt M. Untersuchung der Sicherheit beim Stellen von Arzneimitteln in deutschen Pflegeheimen [Dissertation]. Köln: Universität; 2011.
Lauterbach KW, Gerber A, Stollenwerk B, Lüngen M. Verblisterung von Arzneimitteln für Bewohner von Alten- und Pflegeheimen und in der häuslichen Pflege: Beschreibung und Bewertung eines Pilotprojekts (September 2004 bis Dezember 2005); Endfassung. Köln: Institut für Gesundheitsökonomie und Klinische Epidemiologie; 2006.
