What are the benefits to patients?
The aim is to improve a patients understanding of their medicines in relation to their condition and this should:

• Improve compliance with medicines
• Improve health outcomes
• Improve quality of life
• Increase ownership of their condition and treatment
• Encourage self-care.

What are the benefits for GP’s?
It is well recognised that at least 50% of patients do not comply with their prescribed medicine regimes. Most GP’s would agree that the majority of their appointments are taken up by patients with long term chronic conditions. A high proportion of hospital admissions by the elderly are as a direct result of poor compliance with prescribed medication. Improving a patients understanding of their medicine and how to take it properly should improve their health outcomes, thus reducing workloads for GP’s and unnecessary hospitalisations.

What are the benefits to funders?
Improving accessibility and patient care is the platform to developments within the Ministry of Health’s Primary Care Strategy. Compliance with appropriately prescribed treatment is fundamental to ensuring that the outcomes of care are realised. Non-compliance can lead to:

• Unnecessary increased workload for healthcare professionals
• Non-achievement of health goals
• Increased hospital admissions
• Poor use of DHB resources.

Medicine Use Reviews conducted by community pharmacists can play an important role in achieving all stakeholder goals. It does not matter how clinically appropriate prescribed treatment is if the patient does not understand and follow the recommended regimen.