Structured Medication Reviews – Making Multidisciplinary Clinics Tick

Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs) work best as multidisciplinary clinics that combine clinical insight with practical follow up. When preparation, clinic flow, and post clinic actions are coordinated, patients see tangible benefits and commissioners see clear outcomes.

Prepare with purpose

• Identify priority cohorts such as people living with frailty, those on ten or more medicines, or patients recently discharged from hospital.
• Build review packs that include current medicines lists, monitoring results, patient concerns, and shared care information.
• Confirm clinic staffing with a pharmacist lead, GP supervisor, and admin support to manage scheduling, documentation, and follow up.

Deliver a structured conversation

• Start with the patient’s goals and concerns before exploring adherence, side effects, and opportunities to simplify regimens.
• Document agreed changes in real time, including monitoring plans, safety netting advice, and who will arrange follow up tests.
• Book appointments, telephone calls, or home visits before the patient leaves the clinic to maintain momentum.

Follow through after the clinic

• Update repeat prescriptions, clinical systems, and shared care records straight away to avoid conflicting instructions.
• Send concise summaries to community pharmacies, care homes, or carers so everyone understands the plan.
• Track interventions such as deprescribing, dose adjustments, or referrals in an outcomes log to evidence impact.

Measure and improve

• Monitor medicines related hospital admissions, high risk prescribing indicators, and patient satisfaction scores.
• Capture case studies that show benefits for patients and time released for GPs or other prescribers.
• Review data with the PCN to identify training needs, pathway changes, or funding opportunities.

Take the next step

Pilot a half day multidisciplinary clinic and gather feedback from patients and staff. Use the insights to explore premium clinic templates, outcome dashboards, and patient communication packs that can scale the service across the PCN.

Disclaimer

This guidance is for general information. It is not a substitute for legal, clinical, or specialist advice. Always seek professional support tailored to your practice.