NHS promoting support for people with long term medical conditions

Pharmacists across England are urging people with long-term medical conditions not to miss out on a free NHS service which helps them understand their medicines better.

It’s estimated that up to 50% of people with long-term medical conditions don’t take their medicines as prescribed. Approximately 6.5% of hospital admissions are due to adverse drug reactions.  Many more people end up in hospital because they aren’t using their regular medicines effectively to manage their condition.

For more than a decade, people with a range of long-term conditions have been able to get extra help and advice about their medicines from a local pharmacist through the New Medicine Service (NMS).

However, a recent survey by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) shows that only half of adults in England know this support is available on the NHS.

Ros spoke to Reena Barai, board member of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA).