Time for change: The College of Medicine launches its Beyond Pills campaign

On Thursday 16 June, The College of Medicine launched its Beyond Pills campaign – calling for Government intervention on over-prescribing – at the Integrated and Personalised Medicine Congress 2022.

Around 1.1 billion medicines are currently prescribed unnecessarily. Supported by eminent voices in both the Government and our healthcare system, the Beyond Pills campaign calls for the Government to immediately address the nation’s unsustainable prescription service through re-prescribing and social prescribing.

Speaking at the Integrative and Personalised Medicine Congress 2022, The College of Medicine Chair Dr Michael Dixon said: “Medicine, as we know it, is no longer affordable or sustainable. Nor is it able to curb the increase in obesity, mental health problems and most long-term diseases.

“A new medical mindset is needed, which goes to the heart of true health care. The advantages and possibilities of social prescription are limitless.

“An adjustment to the system now will provide a long-term, sustainable solution for the NHS to meet the ever-increasing demand for funding and healthcare professionals.”

The Campaign was established in the wake of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s National Overprescribing Review published in September 2021.

The Beyond Pills Campaign aims to reduce drug prescription, expand the number of social prescribing link workers, save crucial funds, and provide support to individuals and local communities hampered by health inequalities. To achieve these goals, it has today launched a campaign that includes six specific actions that need to be taken:

• Improving medical and healthcare training. Social prescribing and a psychosocial approach to treatment needs to be embedded throughout the curriculum
• Addressing financial incentives within the NHS. Financial incentives in the system should centre around community health. For those patients already on a cocktail of pills, medication reviews and appropriate deprescribing need to be emphasised
• Increasing the number of social prescribing link workers. Primary Care
• Networks need to employ more link workers to enable access to social prescribing for everyone who could benefit
• Increasing support for the voluntary sector. Government departments need to fund and support voluntary initiatives that encourage healthy communities
• Empowering individuals and communities. Informing individuals about social prescribing and collaborating with volunteers involved in social prescription and local health creation and showcasing benefits
• Further systematic research. Mobilising the research community to develop a fully-fledged programme review into topics including the therapeutic efficacy of social prescribing

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Source: College of Medicine, 16 June 2022