Survey asks patients to share experiences of being prescribed medication

If you have a regular medication prescription your local NHS wants to hear your views and experiences so that we can make sure patients are being properly supported to be on the right medication. A newly launched survey seeks to understand how much people know about the medication they’re taking and if they feel that healthcare professionals are discussing a decision to prescribe a medication with them.

Over half a million people across Hertfordshire and west Essex regularly take prescribed medicines.  In England, more than one in 10 over 65s take at least eight different prescribed medications each week. This increases to nearly one in four for people over 85 years of age.

Medicines play a vital part in helping people manage their health conditions and live well for longer.  Taking medication regularly and taking several different medicines is safe as long as they’re appropriately prescribed and properly managed.

However, medication can end up doing more harm than good if people are on excessive medication for their health needs or if medicines are being taken incorrectly or in unsafe combinations. Some medications can cause drowsiness, light-headedness and imbalance, increasing the risk of falls, particularly if people have been taking them for a long time.

Any potential issues with medicines can be identified through a regular medication review. This will check if someone really needs all the medicines they are taking, or if some are causing more harm than good.

Anurita Rohilla, Chief Pharmacist at Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board said: “Patients must be at the centre of decisions about their care and treatment, including medication.

“Patients should know what the prescribed medications they’re taking do to them. This means empowering patients to ask questions about the benefits, risks and alternatives to taking a particular medication. We know up to 50 per cent of medicines are not taken by patients as prescribed, so it’s important patients share with their healthcare professionals what they really take and understand what happens if they are not taking a medication as prescribed.

“This survey will help us test current levels of patient awareness and inform future improvements to enable our patients to know about the medicines they are prescribed.”

This questionnaire can be completed by the patient, a family member or carer.