The Princess of Wales Hospital COTE Pharmacy Team have redesigned their approach to delivering pharmaceutical services to frail elderly patients, becoming increasingly resource and skill-efficient.

The previous work system required three pharmacists and two pharmacy technicians to screen every patient for clinical and / or technical input. A novel approach to the pharmaceutical service was devised and implemented, focusing on a prioritisation tool which was designed to prudently improve service delivery and focus on utilising all the skills of the COTE team. The innovative approach has resulted in it now taking two pharmacists and two pharmacy technicians a total of eight hours daily to provide the service. The significant time saved has been reinvested back into the service, and there has been a tangible benefit to many areas, including patient safety, and cross-sector working.