My Medication Passport is a small, easy-to-read, user-friendly booklet or app designed for patients to hold a record of their medication.
The My Medication Passport (MMP) is funded by the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) Northwest London. It supports patients to understand the impact of their medications and is particularly useful for people receiving multiple medications. In addition, it supports improved interactions between patients and healthcare professionals regarding their medications.
Since its launch in April 2013, 100,000 pocket booklets have been ordered by pharmacies, hospitals, charities, GP practices, nursing homes and by patients across England and in Scotland. Additionally, over 5,000 iPhone and 4,263 android apps have been downloaded, in at least 37 different countries worldwide.
My Medication Passport is highly relevant as the number of people living with one or more long-term health conditions increases and the medicines they take increases also. Error’s can occur when medicines are changed, and as people move from one care setting to another such as being discharged from hospital to home; or their care is managed by multiple clinicians in hospitals or in the community.
My Medication Passport is used as a good practice example in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society ‘Keeping Patients Safe’ a 2012 report on ensuring accurate medication management when patients transfer between care providers.
Professor Derek Bell, Director of NIHR CLAHRC Northwest London said,
“This is a fantastic milestone and shows very clearly that this simple but effective patient aid is having a really positive impact. Medicines mismanagement can be a real challenge, particularly when patients transfer between different care settings and My Medication Passport helps patients to keep a record of their medications and aids dialogue about their medicines with family, carers and health care professionals.”
My Medication Passport was developed by patients and healthcare professionals based at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. It was part of a wider project designed to improve the review of medicines for older people. However, it was soon seen that the passport was useful for anyone taking multiple medicines.
The benefits of the My Medication Passport have been evaluated and documented within a number of NHS organisations and, as the concept becomes better known it is believed it will become accepted practice for all patients. NHS organisations can order copies of My Medication Passport by visiting www.bit.ly/CLAHRC-mmp
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Reporter
Elle Clegg
Department of Medicine
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Email: press.office@imperial.ac.uk
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