Medicines information

Medicines information

Medicines information (MI) has developed as a specialty of hospital pharmacy within the UK National Health Service (NHS), and is mirrored by similar service developments in advanced healthcare systems in most of the developed world, including Europe, the USA and Australasia. However, the models adopted vary according to the health systems and practices in a particular country. Although most MI services are provided by pharmacists, as part a hospital pharmacy service, there are models where doctors, nurses and other technical staff have a more dominant role than in the UK. This chapter will focus on the provision and practice of MI in the UK, much of which is transferable to other countries.