Services Database Falls Prevention

Doncaster Local Pharmaceutical Committee (LPC) developed a Community Pharmacy Falls Prevention Service to target patients aged 65 and over on 3 or more regular medicines or at least one ‘high-risk’ medicine for a falls risk assessment with a community pharmacist, to address this issue of primary falls prevention. The service was initially commissioned by NHS Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) using Winter Pressures money released by NHS England and was launched in January 2014, and then subsequently re-commissioned until the end of June 2015. This is a level one falls prevention service. 

The aim of this specification is to enable pharmacy to play an even stronger role at the heart of more integrated out-of-hospital services for patient’s that deliver better health outcomes, more personalised care, excellent patient experience and the most efficient use of NHS resources.

This community pharmacy service aims to address the issue of primary prevention of falls and fractures. Patients aged 65 years and over taking three or more medicines or patients prescribed ‘high-risk/culprit’ medication will be targeted for a face to face consultation with a trained pharmacist who has undertaken targeted falls prevention training.

The service shall be provided by a practising pharmacist, registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council of Great Britain and who declare themselves as competent in falls awareness, evidenced by completing appropriate CPD.