NHS LPP ensuring the delivery of medicines during COVID-19

A new project is underway to help hospitals put longer term arrangements and contracts in place to supply medicines to patients without them having to attend hospital.

A new project is underway to help hospitals put longer term arrangements and contracts in place to supply medicines to patients without them having to attend hospital. 

The pandemic has seen trusts adopting new innovations at pace to reduce contact within hospitals, including supplying medicines to patients using various delivery methods. The project, which will ensure hospitals can meet the need for continued social distancing, will help formalise and standardise approaches, beginning with a tender led by NHS LPP to identify a list of approved couriers to transport medicines from hospital outpatient pharmacies to patient homes.

A set of principles providing best practice advice on medicines supply is also being developed by a short life working group made up of clinical representatives from NHS LPP and other NHS organisations from across the system. The principles are expected to be completed in the coming weeks and will be made available to trust pharmacy departments to support them to protect vulnerable patients as the response to the pandemic continues, while also ensuring regulatory requirements are met. 

Jackie Eastwood, NHS LPP Medicines Optimisation and Pharmacy Procurement Associate Director, said:

“This project will not only ensure continuity of patient care, but also improve ways of working in the longer term. The work is pan-London and is based on a ‘do it once and share’ principle which will promote consistency and ensure economies of scale so hospitals can secure the most cost effective contracts.” 

For more information contact jacqueline.eastwood@lpp.nhs.uk