Supporting the Self-Management of Joint Pain

THIS SERVICE IS NOW LIVE AND WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE ALLOCATED FUNDING FROM NHSE IS USED – please see below the EOI and SLA which needs to be signed in order to start delivering the service – PLEASE NOTE this is first come first serve

Background

Osteoarthritis refers to a clinical syndrome of joint pain accompanied by varying degrees of functional limitation and reduced quality of life. It is the most common form of arthritis, and one of the leading causes of pain and disability worldwide. Osteoarthritis (OA) typically affects the knee, hip, cervical and lumbar spine, distal interphalangeal, proximal interphalangeal, carpometacarpal, and metatarsophalangeal joints.  OA is the most common form of arthritis and the leading cause of chronic disability among older people. More than 50% of people over the age of 65 years have radiological evidence of OA, with approximately 10% of men and 18% of women suffering symptomatic OA  Almost everyone has structural evidence of OA on radiographs in at least one joint by the age of 70 . In a recent population-based cohort study, the lifetime risk of symptomatic knee OA was 45% .  

Around a third of people aged 45 years and over in the UK, 8.75 million people, have sought treatment from their general practitioner for joint pain. The impact of osteoarthritis on a person depends on which of their joints are affected, their loss of freedom of movement and the amount of pain they experience. Joint pain can be a substantial barrier to mobility and independence, compromising wellbeing and quality of life. 

NICE

A national public health approach to address osteoarthritis has been recommended https://www.versusarthritis.org/#sthash.GaDuTeZk.dpuf  In 2020 NICE updated their published guidelines recommending a systematic approach to managing joint pain. They prioritised core interventions: access to information and support for self-management; exercise and increasing physical activity; reducing weight where appropriate; and first line analgesia. 

Aims and Objectives of Derbyshire LPC led pilot

The overall aim of this pilot is for community pharmacy teams to support patients in self- management strategies for their joint pain to enhance the patients’ quality of life without reverting to surgical pathways for joint pain unless all other appropriate options have been explored.   

 The objectives for this pilot are 

• Support the pharmacy teams in understanding joint pain and key factors that contribute to OA 
• Ensuring pharmacy teams have access to appropriate information and guidance in the self-management of OA 
• For pharmacy teams to contribute to the overall patient pathway regarding OA care 
• Pharmacy teams to help prevent worsening health for people with OA 

 Payment

The pharmacy will be paid according to the following schedule. 

• A professional fee of £15 will be paid for each initial consultation carried out. 

• In addition, a one-off payment of £40 will be paid when all training of both pharmacists and pharmacy team members has been completed and will be paid on the first completed consultation 

 (NB. Due to the limited funding the number of patient consultations will be capped at 25 per pharmacy, should more funding become available the LPC will extend this capped rate and inform you accordingly) 

Do you want to deliver this service?

if the answer is yes, please complete the below EOI form and sign the SLA

The SLA for this pilot can be found here –  Derbyshire SLA

Once you have signed the SLA, please send  to Katherinenewman@derbyshirelpc.co.uk

PharmOutcomes will be switched on (this may take a few days to achieve)