NHS North East has launched an initiative to help older patients better understand their own medicines.
The ‘My Medicines, My Health’ campaign is designed not only to help older patients to understand their medicines, but to improve how well they take and look after them.
Aimed at patients over 60 years old with long-term medical conditions, the campaign is urging people to keep all of their medicine safe in one place, preferably in a single bag or container, and to take it with them for key medical appointments.
The idea is that patients with a number of health issues, and who are therefore on several medicines at once, will be better able to keep track of their medicines – and that, should they be admitted to hospital, healthcare professionals will better placed to understand their condition.
While any type of bag would do, the team behind the campaign is promoting the idea of a Green Medicine Bag.
‘My Medicines, My Health’ has been funded by the region’s 12 NHS clinical commissioning groups and is supported by NHS North East’s major NHS organisations including hospital and mental health trusts and the ambulance service. It is the first such initiative in the region.
The campaign will be supported by regional TV and radio adverts, social media activities and adverts in local shopping centres. It was designed in-house, by the NHS North of England Commissioning Support Unit (NECS) communications and engagement team.
There is as yet no end date for the campaign, the NECS told PMLiVE.
The campaign follows a Pfizer-backed initiative to improve a patient’s understanding of their medicine via their pharmacist.