TABLE OF CONTENTS


Introduction

Medication reviews are a key part of medicines management in primary care, especially for patients on multiple or high-risk medications. Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs) and regular assessments of polypharmacy help ensure that treatments remain safe, effective, and appropriate. By using prescribing reports and tools in Ardens Manager, practices can identify patients and prioritise reviews, reduce risks, and support better health outcomes through collaborative, patient-centred care.


Accessing the Prescribing Dashboard

Select the Services icon and click on Prescribing.
 
 
Click on the Review tab. 

 


The dashboard is grouped into different categories, including:
  • Overview: Oversight of Anticholinergic Burden - reviewing if ABC numeric should be recorded as patient on >=2 ACB drugs.
  • Last Month: Details the number of medication reviews done, categorised by standard Medication Review, Polypharmacy Medication Review and Structured Medication Review. 
  • Safety Alert: Identifies a series of safety alerts that focus on categories such as 'For advice', 'For drug review' and 'For PSD'
  • Performance Indicator: Allows tracking of progress towards completion of key indicators across multiple drug monitoring criteria.
 
You can filter the dashboard using the filter icon. This allows you to focus on a specific category or area of the dashboard. Select your activity type(s) and click Apply. 

 

 

To identify the patients, click on View. 
 
 
Click on the Patients tab. 
 
The patient list can be filtered based on the task you are performing. When reviewing a performance indicator report, use the drop-down menu to switch between the full cohort and the patients needing outstanding drug monitoring. For static reports, such as safety alerts, a single list is available showing the number of identified patients.
 
 
You can copy the patient's NHS number to review their record or export the full list of patients for further action. To learn more about managing the patient list, please view this support article.

 

Your data can be analysed using Code Breakdown, which helps prioritise tasks by focusing on medications by group and dose. To access the code breakdown, click on the Benchmark tab, then toggle View Codes.
 
 
The code breakdown is colour-coded to visually represent the features and tools. This approach helps illustrate the volume of each drug group in relation to the report.
 
 
 
You can further identify the individual drugs/dosages that patients are on by clicking on the chevron icon next to the drug group.
 
 
To view the breakdown or patient list for a specific drug group, click on the medication name or its colour. This action will update all data on the page, including demographics and the patient list.

 


Next Steps

In addition to supporting medication reviews, the insights from Ardens Manager can also drive broader practice-wide actions such as:
  • Targeted Patient Communication: Use the data to send tailored messages or invitations to patients for reviews, monitoring tests, or education sessions (e.g. anticoagulation clinics or benzodiazepine tapering support).
  • Clinical Pathway Improvements: Identify gaps or delays in care pathways (e.g. missing blood tests for DOACs) and streamline processes to ensure timely monitoring and follow-up.
  • Formulary and Prescribing Policy Updates: Use prescribing trends to review and update local formularies or practice-level prescribing guidance, especially for high-cost or low-value medications.
  • Staff Training and Development: Highlight areas where prescribing may not align with best practice and use this to inform training sessions or clinical updates for the team.
  • PCN Collaboration: Share insights across your Primary Care Network to coordinate efforts, align priorities, and support shared care initiatives (e.g. SMRs, care home reviews).
  • CQC and IIF Preparation: Use the data to demonstrate proactive medicines optimisation work during inspections or when reporting against the Investment and Impact Fund (IIF) indicators.


Additional Resources

Explore the range of resources we have available for use in your clinical system to support you with Drug Monitoring:
 
If you require any further assistance on the process above, please contact the Ardens Manager Support Team on: support-manager@ardens.org.uk