How regular use of "Me and My Medicines" Resources improves SMR patient satisfaction (2025)

Berkshire Primary Care - Clinical Pharmacy Team

Project summary

Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs) offer significant benefit for patients, especially those on multiple medications. These benefits include reducing the risk of harm from adverse drug events, improving patient care by involving then in decision-making, and enhancing health system value by reducing medication waste. However, feedback from clinical pharmacists indicated that many patients were unprepared for their SMR, leading to inefficiencies and confusion about the purpose and benefits of the review.

This project aimed to improve patient engagement by providing information to prepare them ahead of the SMR, using the ‘Me & My Medicines’ resource, to enhance the quality of the review and patient satisfaction.

The project involved two cohorts (sample size of 50 patients for each cohort):

Cohort 1: patients who did not receive any pre-SMR information.

Cohort 2: patients who received the resource.

Both cohorts consisted of patients aged 75 years and over (not registered in care home), registered in Bracknell & District PCN surgeries. The clinical pharmacy team used population health data to target patients who would benefit the most from an SMR.

Pharmacy technicians were used to gather patient information; Clinical pharmacists conducted SMRs. After the SMR, patients were asked to complete a Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ) to assess their experience. 
The intervention led to improved patient engagement and preparation for the SMR, especially in Cohort 2, who received the ‘Me & My Medicines’ resource.

The clinical pharmacists observed that patients in Cohort 2 were more confident, prepared, and had more questions ready, which made the SMRs more streamlined and efficient. 
Although the response rate for PSQ was lover than expected, with only 18 responses from Cohort 1 and 16 from Cohort 2, feedback from the clinical team indicated significant improvement in patient confidence and preparedness in Cohort 2.

The feedback from patients in Cohort 2 indicates a positive impact. All respondents in this Cohort reported that the pre-SMR resource helped them prepare for their medication review, demonstrating the value of providing the resource ahead of the consultation.

This suggests that the resource was effective in enhancing the SMR process. Furthermore, the project contributed to smoother team collaboration and better utilisation of team members’ skills, increasing overall efficiency.