More than medication: Evaluating the role of the pharmacist independent prescriber in a community team for learning disabilities and behaviours deemed to be challenging.

Accessible Summary: Pharmacists are an important source of support for people with learning disabilities, healthcare professionals and carers.Pharmacists can support carers and healthcare professionals to manage medicines in line with stopping over‐medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both principles.Healthcare staff and carers were interviewed to see how they felt about working with a pharmacist and how this helped them to look after people with learning disabilities.Healthcare professionals and carers felt that the pharmacist was very helpful and listened to them. Background: The issues surrounding the prescribing and monitoring of medications for people with learning disabilities and behaviours deemed to be challenging, and are complex in their management for patients, healthcare professionals and carers. The aim of the study was to explore the impact of the pharmacist independent prescriber on a medication clinic for people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviours from the perspectives of healthcare professionals and carers in a UK mental health Trust setting. Materials and Methods: Qualitative methods were used to provide an understanding of the participants' interactions with the pharmacist in the context of the medication clinic. Individual, semi‐structured interviews were carried out with staff and carers, audio‐recorded and transcribed verbatim. A thematic analysis was carried out to identify themes which illuminated the participants' experiences. Recruitment took place December 2017–August 2018. Results: Nine participants took part (six staff and three full‐time carers). Eight themes were constructed from the data: five from staff and three from the carer cohort: being open to innovation and change in collaborative practice, challenging traditional norms in collaborative approaches to person‐centred care, proactive empowerment via maximisation of expertise and resources, supporting and empowering informed decision‐making, encouraging collaborative debate around medication, establishing authentic and interactive dialogue, gaining trust of the pharmacist independent prescriber's role in the management of patients and feeling empowered to challenge ambiguity and inconsistency in prescribing practice. Conclusion: The pharmacist independent prescriber is a valued asset, with high levels of interaction between all staff, carers and an integral aspect of services provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]