TAKING tablets correctly doesn’t just bring health benefits for patients.

Staying fit and well has a knock-on effect for the National Health Service too, saving millions of pounds in terms of treatments for complications that arise when people don’t keep to prescribed times and doses.

In the case of Type 2 diabetes alone, it’s been estimated that the knock on cost of missed tablets is as much as £500 million.

Mayberry Pharmacy, the Blackwood branch of which was named ‘Pharmacy of the Year’ at the South Wales Argus Health & Care Awards 2020, was the first company in Wales to offer medicines in pouches.

These easy-to-open pouches of tablets arrive on a roll, with each one clearly marked with the day and time they need to be taken, making it simple for carers and family members to check everything is in order.

Customers register for the free service with Mayberry Pharmacy, which organises the collection of prescriptions from GP surgeries and free delivery of the pouches.

Owner Paul Mayberry first came across the MediPack system during an exhibition in Germany and became convinced of the need to invest in it during a meeting with the manager of a care agency.

“It’s quite well-used in Europe but not here,” says Paul, who was raised in Blackwood and opened his first shop in Pontypool in 1994.

“When I described it to a care manager she told me it was the answer to her prayers.

“Often, taking medications can be confusing, especially for people living with dementia and similar conditions.

“We want to help people take their medication at the right time; we know that in the UK, 50% of people don’t take their tablets as prescribed, and that this percentage increases with age.

“Taking the right medication at the right time is not only better for the patient seeking to control a condition, but in the long run it’s cheaper for the NHS too.”

MediPack involves the use of robotic technology to dispense doses of tablets into each pouch, with an optical checker ensuring accuracy.

Overseeing the MediPack system is a number of pharmacists. At the beginning of the pandemic they were issued with personal protective equipment (PPE) and organised into early and late teams in an effort to reduce the risk of the virus rendering the entire group unable to work, which would have had dire consequences for customers.

The MediPack system has proved so popular that Mayberry Pharmacy saw a 70% increase in the number of prescriptions it processed on behalf of customers using its seven branches last year. The company also offers the service to the rest of the UK through its ‘PillTime’ operation.

Mayberry Pharmacy has won a number of awards and is continually seeking to improve, with pharmacists now providing more clinical services to patients, including flu clinics, ‘stop smoking’ teams and advice regarding common ailments. Some have even trained to become independent prescribers.

“We’re working hard to take the pressure off GP surgeries and the NHS as a whole,” says Paul.

South Wales Argus: South Wales Argus Health and Care Awards sponsors panel

THE Museum of Military Medicine is the sponsor of the Pharmacy of the Year category.

The impact of military medicine on the health and care of civilians cannot be under-estimated.

From advances in blood transfusion to the use of field hospital practices to create Nightingale units, not forgetting the adoption of the ‘Thomas Splint’ beyond Wales during the First World War; new ways of working developed during times of conflict and humanitarian care have gone on to provide long-lasting benefits for millions of people.

The Museum of Military Medicine showcases such stories, stepping back in time as far as the Civil Wars of the 1640s and continuing to the present day, as Army Medical Services personnel continue to serve across the globe.

Soon this important resource will be making Wales its home, with plans to move its artefacts and archives to Cardiff.

Work has already begun on establishing partnerships in Wales, such as with the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, and opening a veterans’ clinic, as well as offering a visitor attraction with a range of displays and an exciting ‘Deep Space’ interactive learning area through which the body can be viewed in 3D profile.

“The museum was started to celebrate our Corps traditions and generate pride, but nowadays it’s more than a museum: it’s about education and opportunity and inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals,” explains director Jason Semmens.

“We hope to be up and running in Cardiff within the next five years.

“This is an exciting project and we would be delighted to hear from any organisations wishing to form partnerships with the museum.”