In his fourth annual report to the NHS Highland Board, Dr Tim Allison, Director of Public Health, highlights that medications serve a key role in maintaining the health of NHS Highland populations.
However there are numerous negative impacts to the widespread use of medications that need to be recognised, and there is increasing evidence for the increased use of non-medical treatments in the management of common medical conditions.
Dr Allison said: “Our overall health is affected both in good ways and in bad ways by medication. Medicines can improve public health but can also cause harm.
“When we look at medication and its different effects on public health we come from different backgrounds and experiences. We will have varying perceptions about the power of medication to change lives.”
The Annual Report of the Director of Public Health 2023 - Medication and Public Health - Do the Right Thing highlights the successful impact of medications in the treatment of conditions such as hepatitis C and explores the role of social prescribing in the management of other conditions.
In his report Dr Allison suggests that 20% of people visit their GP with non-medical needs and up to one fifth of GPs' time is spent on issues related to social needs. Social prescribing provides an evidence-based potential to complement management of a range of health conditions through providing a holistic person-centred model of care.
Dr Allison said: “NHS Highland should increase the number of health and social care staff who are aware of social prescribing by developing and promoting a social prescribing network and a Directory of Services, and by creating targeted messaging.”
He discusses the growing body of evidence regarding the negative impacts of medicines on our environment. When medicines are excreted from our body or flushed down toilets or sinks, they can end up in our water environment and soils. They can have negative effects on aquatic organisms and end up in the crops we eat.
He also outlines the positive and negative impacts of opioid prescribing, particularly for the management of chronic pain. Alternatives are available such as social prescribing programmes, psychologically-based interventions and physical therapies.
He said: “It is vital that we appreciate the positive and negative impacts associated with the widespread use of medication and adopt a holistic approach to patient care to ensure the best outcomes for the NHS Highland population.”