Service specification
The Advice for Residential Care Homes service enables Community Pharmacies to enter a contract with local care homes, providing expert guidance on residents’ medication supplied by the pharmacy. As part of this service, pharmacists take responsibility for the safekeeping, correct administration, and disposal of medicines, conduct scheduled visits at least every three months (quarterly), and maintain detailed records of identified issues and advice given.
This service applies only to adult residential care homes and is intended to support the safe and effective management of medicines for adults residing in these settings. For the purposes of this service, an adult residential care home is a regulated care setting that provides accommodation and personal care for adults who are unable to live independently due to age, disability, frailty, or other health and social care needs. The service does not apply to children’s residential care homes, foster care arrangements, or other non-residential care settings.
1. What It Is
- Definition:
- Residential care homes offer accommodation and personal care for people who cannot live independently, often due to age, disability, or health conditions.
- Purpose of Advice:
- To help care home providers meet regulatory standards, protect residents’ rights, and maintain health and safety.
2. How It Works
- Community Pharmacy must visit the residential care home every three months and use the dedicated claim form for the service.
- They must provide a point of contact for the residential care home for any queries that come in.
3. Resources
The Service Level Agreement for this service is currently being reviewed and we hope to share this soon