My name is Lauren Ritchie. I started my career as a pharmacist in community before moving to my current role within Grove Road Surgery and the Primary Care Network (PCN). My role includes signing repeat prescriptions, conducting medication reviews, ensuring medication monitoring is up-to-date and managing side-effects related to medications.
Within a medication review, the aim is to ensure your medication is optimised to manage your health conditions, balanced by what is important to you to manage your long-term health goals. Additionally, I help to answer medication stock and supply queries and help patients’ gain support if they are struggling to manage their medications. I also conduct consultations with patients after their blood test results have been reviewed by the doctors; for example, if cholesterol levels are raised, I will complete a follow-up consultation to review current cholesterol treatment, offer lifestyle advice, or recommend treatment be commenced.