Making sure your medicines are right for you

Your pharmacist can help you make sure any medicines you are taking are right for you. Recent studies have shown that around 50% of people are not taking their medicines as prescribed.

A free new service called a ‘Medicines Use Review’ (MUR) means you can go and speak to a pharmacist about the medicines you take and how you use them. So your pharmacist can help make sure you are getting the best from them.

You might find this service especially useful if:

• you’re regularly taking two or more prescribed medicines.
• you’ve been taking a medicine for three months or more.
• you’re taking medicine for a long-term illness.
• the medicines you’ve been taking have just changed – perhaps if you’ve just come out of hospital.

What happens at a Medicines Use Review?
At a Medicines Use Review, you can talk to a pharmacist about the medicines you take. The review meetings are totally confidential.

The pharmacist will ask you about all the medicines you have at home, to check:

• you understand what they are for.
• if there are any medicines you are having problems with; and
• if you’ve got any old medicines you don’t need any more.

They will help you understand the best way to take each medicine and the best time of day to take them. Sometimes they will be able to help you find an easier way to take your medicine.

At the end of your review, you and your pharmacist will agree an action plan. This describes any changes to your medicines. You’ll get a copy of this plan and another copy will go to your GP.

What to do before your review
To help you get the most from your Medicines Use Review, there are a few preparations you should make.

Write down any questions you have about your medicines. You might want to ask questions like:

• When is the best time to take my medicine?
• Should I avoid any particular foods and drinks when taking any of my medicines?
• How does my medicine work?
• How long will I need to take the medicine for?
• What would happen if I forgot to take my medicine, would it matter?
• What side effects if any can I expect?
• Are there any tips on how to remember to take my medicine?

List details of all the medicines you take, including:

• What type they are.
• Their dosage.
• How often you take them.

Don’t forget to include any medicine, creams, herbal products, supplements and painkillers you might take too – even if they aren’t prescribed or you don’t take them often.

Make a note of any medicines you’ve reacted badly to in the past.

Setting up a review
All you need to do to set up your free Medicines Use Review is to speak to your local pharmacist. They are available in over 4,000 pharmacies in the UK, so it should be easy to find one near you.

Download your Medicines Use Review form here

The form accommodates eight medicines. If you are taking more than eight medicines, you’ll need to print additional copies.