The Health Innovation Network has launched a new suite of resources specifically designed to support residents, their families, and care home staff in preparing for and participating in Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs).
Developed by the NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Research Collaboration, the resources were co-designed with care home residents, relatives and staff. These materials build upon the Network’s popular polypharmacy resources launched in September 2023.
A Structured Medication Review (SMR) is a comprehensive process where a qualified healthcare professional, such as a doctor, pharmacist, or Advanced Nurse Practitioner, reviews all the medicines a resident is taking. The primary goal of an SMR is to ensure that all medicines are still necessary, effective, and safe for the individual. This includes discussing potential problems, and considering changes like stopping, reducing, increasing dosage, or starting new medicines where appropriate.
The new resources address a critical need to enhance medication safety and patient well-being within care home settings. As more people live longer with multiple long-term health conditions, the number of medicines they take often increases, which can create a significant burden and, in some cases, lead to problematic polypharmacy and cause harm. The Health Innovation Network’s Polypharmacy Programme has been working to address these issues by empowering patients and clinicians to make informed decisions about prescribing.
These new materials support a collaborative approach to SMRs, recognising that residents, care home staff and families are integral to successful medication management.
The resources are designed to empower residents to actively engage in discussions about their medicines, promoting shared decision-making. They include prompts for questions residents might want to ask, such as “Do I still need all my medicines?” and “How do I know they are helping me?”
Care home staff possess invaluable insights into residents’ daily lives, medication routines, preferences, and any changes in their health or well-being. Staff are encouraged to use the resources with residents to invite questions, share observations during discussions, report side effects, and monitor changes post-review.
Family members and friends can also play a vital role, offering another perspective on the resident’s condition and asking pertinent questions. The resources provide avenues for their involvement in SMRs in person or online, can enhance communication via email or phone calls, and can help to engage relatives in reviewing care plans.
Eve Moran, Manager of Seacroft Grange Care Home, was involved in co-designing and piloting the new resources. Eve commented:
“Every step we take to structure and improve the medication process is a step toward safer care, clearer communication, and better outcomes for our residents. Research in this area isn’t just about systems – it’s about people. It has been incredibly fulfilling to be involved in such important work that will have a positive impact across our services. The system will be clearer and more importantly resident and relative-friendly to support engagement and informed decision making.”
David Alldred, Professor of Medicines Use and Safety at the University of Leeds, said:
“We are delighted that these new resources to support care homes with medication reviews are being launched. They have been designed with residents, relatives, care home staff and healthcare professionals to enhance the quality and safety of medication reviews, with a focus on a team approach and being resident-centred.”
Tom Gentry, Head of Health and Care Policy at Age UK said:
“Older people living in residential care are more likely to be living with multiple long-term conditions and taking multiple medicines. Ensuring these treatments are optimised can make a huge difference to their health and wellbeing. Structured medication reviews play an essential role in making this happen and these resources can help residents and their relatives to be properly informed and involved in this process. We are delighted to support this work and hope more and more people are able to enjoy the benefits of this personalised approach to their medicines.”
Sundus Jawad FRPharmS, Chair of the National Pharmacy Care Home Faculty, said:
“We welcome the launch of these new and important resources to support care home residents, their families, and care home staff in preparing for and participating in Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs).
“Developed with residents and their families, care home staff and healthcare professionals, the resources are clear, easily accessible, and much needed by all involved in conducting SMRs for people living in care homes. These new resources recognise that residents, care home staff and families play a vital role in managing medicines and optimising their use. The use of these resources will mean that residents will be empowered to actively engage in discussions about their medicines and have an opportunity to share what matters most to them.”
The new care home resources include:
- Invitation letters: tailored letters to inform residents and their relations about the upcoming SMR, explaining its purpose and what to expect. These include questions to encourage residents and their families to think about what they may wish to ask about their medicines, such as why they are taking them, potential side effects, or alternatives.
- Guidance for care home staff: instructions on how staff can facilitate the SMR process, from initial invitations to post-review monitoring and feedback.
- Safely stopping medicines information: clear guidance for residents, staff and relatives on how any medicines would be stopped (gradually or immediately), what to look out for, and whom to contact if concerns arise.
These new care home specific materials are available alongside the existing NHS-branded resources on the Health Innovation Network website, which are available in a wide range of community languages, along with audio and easy read versions.
These resources were also used in 27 projects across the country focused on improving uptake of SMRs with seldom-heard communities. 85% of PCN teams involved in these pilots found that the resources helped them engage with seldom heard communities. Two-thirds of patients said the resources helped them share what was important to them with their doctor/pharmacist during their SMR appointment. Read more about these pilots.
To date 9,073 patient resources have been downloaded from the Health Innovation Network website, and the resources page has been accessed over 19,000 times.
View more information on the patient information resources.
Posted on September 12, 2025
