Integrating NHS pharmacy and medicines optimisation (IPMO) into Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships and Integrated Care Systems (STP/ICS) is the latest initiative to be funded by the Pharmacy Integration Fund.

The IPMO programme aims to develop a framework which will set out how to systematically tackle the medicines optimisation priorities for the local population in an STP/ICS footprint. The expertise of pharmacists will be used to transform systems in order to deliver the best patient outcomes from medicines and value to the taxpayer.

For 2018/19, the programme seeks to “test and confirm” the principles of the framework to integrate pharmacy and medicines optimisation into STP/ICSs and primary care network level.

To do this, NHS England and NHS Improvement have identified one pilot STP or ICS in each of the seven NHS regions to test the principles and address key questions, and to act as case studies for future roll-out.

Up to £150,000 will be available for each of the seven pilot STP/ICS areas. The first phase of the pilots will run until January 2019, when progress will be reviewed and further roll-out considered.