by Dorothée van Hooff | Sep 14, 2017 | Events, News Release
On Tuesday 5 September 2017 the NHSCT hosted a visit from members of the Health Improvement Alliance Europe (HIAE). The Trust joined the Alliance in September 2016 under the facilitation of the internationally recognised Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The IHI mission is ‘to improve health and healthcare worldwide’, through a strategy of accelerating the pace of improvement in healthcare and innovating and partnering with organisations and communities to improve health. Along with our European partners we are looking to collaborative ways in which we can address the challenges of:
- An ageing population;
- An increase in the number of patients with chronic diseases; and
- An escalation in healthcare costs.
Members meet through virtual networks monthly and every three months in person. Northern Ireland hosted the most recent meeting, and in the Alliance spirit of ‘all share, all learn’, members had the opportunity to visit health and social care sites in Northern Ireland. We were delighted to host the Alliance in our Innovation and Education Centre in Antrim to share the work being taken forward by the regional Medicines Optimisation and Innovation Centre (MOIC).
More information on the website IHI Health Improvement Alliance Europe
Picture, from left: Michael Scott, Glenda Fleming, Gill Smith (Innovation and Quality Improvement Lead, NHSCT) with the Health Improvement Alliance Europe visitors.
From left: Cathy Harrison, Michael Scott, Glenda Fleming and Gill Smith (Innovation and Quality Improvement Lead, NHSCT).
From left: Michael Scott (Director, MOIC), Anita Hogg (Lead for Pharmaceutical Clinical Effectiveness, MOIC), Rob Brenninkmeijer (Director, Digitalis), Glenda Fleming (Deputy Director, MOIC), and Frans van Andel (Lead for Internationalisation, MOIC).
From left: Cathy Harrison, Michael Scott, Julie-Ann Walkden (SBRI Executive at Business Services Organisation), and Glenda Fleming.
by Dorothée van Hooff | Sep 13, 2017 | News Release
MOIC will be one of the partners to carry out the final evaluation of the EC/ACP/WHO programme ‘Strengthening of Pharmaceutical Systems and Improving Access to Quality Essential Medicines’ in Africa.
Medicines selection and procurement are vital issues for public health in Africa, as pharmaceuticals often constitute the only available health technology to improve health in the region. According to WHO, availability of key medicines remains low in many African countries (55-66% on average), while pharmaceuticals may consume up to 60% of current public expenditures in public health.
Better patient outcomes
In 2012, the EC, ACP and WHO launched a comprehensive programme in Africa: ‘Strengthening of Pharmaceutical Systems and Improving Access to Quality Essential Medicines’ in mainly sub-Saharan countries. The main objectives of the programme were to ‘contribute to improving the availability, affordability and use of safe, effective and quality assured medicines for priority communicable and non-communicable diseases’. In reaching the objectives, the programme wanted to contribute to improved cost-effective health care and better patient outcomes for the African population.
Reviewing the programme
After four years of operation, the programme is coming to a close and a review of its effectiveness and sustainability needs to be carried out on behalf of the EC, WHO and the participating countries. Following a tendering procedure, MOIC was selected as one of the partners to carry out the evaluation. This process will be carried out over a six to eight-month time frame starting in September 2017. It will involve visits to six African countries and intensive deliberations with all main stakeholders in – among others – Brussels (EC) and Geneva (WHO). The evaluation process will be concluded by the organisation of a final workshop in Geneva.
MOIC’s expertise
With the engagement of the MOIC as one of the partners in the project, the increasing role of MOIC as a Centre of Excellence in international medicines optimisation is recognised. It will enable MOIC to further strengthen its collaboration with the EC, WHO and other relevant international and national organisations. It will expand MOICs technical expertise in such fields as selection and procurement of medicines, distribution, quality of medicines and prescribing and dispensing.
The project will be coordinated by Frans van Andel, MSc, MPH, PhD, Lead in Internationalisation at the MOIC.
More information on the programme ‘Strengthening of Pharmaceutical Systems and Improving Access to Quality Essential Medicines’ in the brochure The EU/ACP/WHO Renewed Partnership 2012-2016 and the website of the World Health Organization.
On the Renewed Partnership: the RP is a collaborative initiative between the European Commission (EC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and 15 African Member States of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP). The overall objectives of the RP are to contribute to the achievement of health-related Millennium Development Goals (i.e. MDGs 4, 5, 6 and 8), and to help realize Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the partner countries. To accomplish this, the RP supports improvements in the availability, affordability and use of safe, effective and quality-assured essential medicines. The overall budget of the RP amounts to €10.8 million.
by Dorothée van Hooff | Aug 31, 2017 | Events, News Release
Anita Hogg (Lead for PCE at MOIC, Principal Pharmacist, NHSCT) represented MOIC at the annual National Forum for Scotland in Dunblane on 30 August. She showcased examples of projects and technologies in the Learning Zone. The Forum was organised by Pharmacy Management, a MOIC Partner.
National Forum for Scotland, Dunblane, 30 August.
Anita Hogg represented MOIC at the Forum and showcased examples of projects and technologies in the Learning Zone.
Audrey Campbell (Principal Pharmacy Technician, NHS Highland), and Cathryn Park, (Lead Clinical Pharmacist, NHS Borders).
Philip Newland-Jones (Consultant Pharmacist Diabetes and Endocrinology, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust).
Marie Livingston (Director of Pharmacy), Stacey Anderson (Pharmacy Services Development and Improvement Manager), and Elizabeth Kemp (Principal Pharmacist, Pharmaceutical Services), all NHS Grampian.
by Dorothée van Hooff | Aug 31, 2017 | News Release
A delegation of six pharmacists from Egypt visited Antrim Area Hospital for four days at the end of August. Their visit was part of the ‘Applied clinical pharmacy for overseas students’ short course at University of Ulster.
by Dorothée van Hooff | Aug 30, 2017 | Presentations
What is Medicines Optimisation? It is all about safety, effectiveness and patient/client focus. About best practice, research and knowledge transfer. We need people to get maximum benefits from medicines. Want to know more? Watch the video! And share!
Medicines Optimisation on Youtube
