New Medicines Use Review (MUR) Form Launched , UK

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Also Included In: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 14 Dec 2007 - 4:00 PDT

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PSNC is delighted to announce the publication of the new MUR form and the associated changes to the use of the form. This is the culmination of an extensive review of the MUR documentation conducted in partnership with the Department of Health; the review was informed by feedback from pharmacists, GPs, LPCs, PCTs and other stakeholders.

The new form has been designed to improve communication about MURs between GPs and pharmacists; it has been reduced down to two A4 sheets (compared to the four A4 sheets of the original form) by focussing the fields within the form on the key information that needs to be recorded and communicated onwards.

Additionally, the amendments to the Secretary of State Directions that accompany the publication of the new form provide new flexibilities in relation to communicating with GPs about MURs; only the first page of the new form will normally be sent to the GP and only when there are issues that the GP needs to consider.

Commenting on the launch of the new form Alastair Buxton, Head of NHS Services, PSNC, said:

"This new form will streamline the MUR process for pharmacists and enable more efficient communication with patients' GPs. I hope the new form and the changes to the Secretary of State Directions will help more pharmacists to conduct more MURs, so that a greater number of patients can benefit from this valuable service. The launch of the new form also provides an excellent opportunity for pharmacists to review how they are providing MURs; it is important that everybody remembers that the MUR is about the use of medicines, not conducting a clinical review."

Notes:

1. The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) is the body that represents community pharmacy on NHS matters and seeks to secure the best possible NHS services provided by pharmacy contractors in England and Wales.

2. The new form is available at http://www.psnc.org.uk/mur and PSNC will also publish a copy in the January edition of Community Pharmacy News. The original form was made available in triplicate pads by a number of organisations; updated pads will be available from these suppliers soon. A number of pharmacy computer systems integrated the original MUR into their software; the software vendors have indicated that they will be updating their software to reflect the new form over the coming months.

3. The amendments to the Secretary of State Directions are available at http://www.dh.gov.uk. They allow contractors to only send a copy of the first page of the new form to the patient's GP and only when there are issues identified in the action plan for the GP to consider. If there are no actions identified for the GP to consider there will be no requirement for the contractor to send a copy of the new form to the GP, unless a copy of the form is requested by the GP, or the pharmacist feels it is appropriate to do so. Where a copy of the MUR form is not sent to the GP, then the contractor will notify the GP that an MUR has been conducted (without any issues for the GP to consider) within one month of the MUR being conducted.

http://www.psnc.org.uk/mur