FAQs

A: Developed by former NHS pharmacist’s, MaPPs® is an online resource that provides a simplified 300-word patient information summary on over 6,000 medicines available in the UK. MaPPs® aims to help patients take their medication more effectively by providing an easy to understand explanation about their medicine, how to take it, and any possible adverse side effects highlighting warnings or cautions. 

In addition to information leaflets, MaPPs® also delivers MAR administration charts that help carers record medicines taking and MRC reminder charts that detail a daily medicines schedule to help patients remember when to take their medicines. 

All leaflets and charts are delivered as PDF files that can be sent electronically, printed and uploaded to the clinical system, and contain the subscribing organisation’s logos so the patients have continuity of advice from the health service supporting them.

A: MaPPs® reduces the time spent explaining important information about medicines to patients, making the hospital discharge service faster and more efficient. Safeguarding patient’s wellbeing is critical, and our software will give people the tools to take their medication safely and effectively with a clear written record. 

Check out our case studies to see additional benefits to patients and in the NHS. For example, a pilot exercise conducted with Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust found that 93% of responders understood the purpose of their new medication and its possible side effects two weeks after being discharged with a MaPPs® Leaflet. This increased the patient’s understanding of their medication, improving the overall discharge experience.

Also, during the Covid-19 pandemic, giving MaPPs® information leaflets together with a reminder or MAR chart have been found useful where standard dispensing is being issued instead of compliance/dossette boxes due to staff reduction or to reduce the risk of airborne contamination from de-blistering. In addition, as all the leaflets and charts can be sent electronically, this was helpful for counselling remotely, including from clean areas to dirty areas of hospitals and for those patients self-isolating in the community.

Overall, as NHS resources are under pressure during the unparalleled challenges of a global health pandemic, quickly counselling patients with the best possible medicine’s information couldn’t be more important. If a patient takes their medicine correctly, this reduces the risk of readmission due to non-compliance or adverse side effects.

A: MaPPs® was extensively scrutinised by the NHS and shortlisted for the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Improving Care with Technology Award 2017 so is a quality assured system.

MaPPs® benefits patients giving information in different ways, for example, the Medicines Easy Read Leaflets (MERLs) deliver pictograms and short phrases that are invaluable for people with a learning difficulty, and where English is not the first language

MaPPs® benefits healthcare staff, for example, returning from retirement and redeployed when not be up to date with the most current medicines, by using MaPPs® means your patients can still be quickly supported for counselling with up to date, high quality yet easy to understand accessible information was written by our specialist pharmacists.

MaPPs® also benefits your organisation by helping to meet the CQUIN framework and CQC patient information requirement and has been validated by patients with improved knowledge understanding and patient experience. 

A: You can have a play with the MaPPs® demo system at your leisure, access by clicking the link here: https://www.miMaPPs.org/MaPPslive/mistura/1000

A: The medicines information is compiled using every known source available including the BNF and EMC which is updated on a daily basis for urgent legal changes, amendments, additions and deletions to the medicines list and weekly with the minor changes in accordance with all the government guidelines to medicine laws.

A: Yes. All files are double-checked by experienced doctors or pharmacists. We include nationally recognised safety programmes and wording to strengthen the safety messages to patients. Try looking at files for Valproate, Methotrexate, Warfarin, an opiate, Vincristine, EpiPen or even paraffin containing products such as E45.

Note* MaPPs® Leaflets do not replace the legal requirement to provide a manufacturers PIL, but they are much more useful to patients

A: Because we aim to ensure that everyone understands the information we provide. Complicated flowing prose with many syllables and technical terms may look great but they are useless to most patients and in many cases just scare them.

A: You can’t but we certainly can, just use the ‘FEEDBACK’ link on the MaPPs® site to contact us or you can email us directly using the emails in the contacts section. We can then review your request as part of our medico-legal checking process and update accordingly.

A: If the medicine is listed in the BNF then it should be on MaPPs® so check you have used the correct spelling. Some medicine names for example have hyphens (e.g. co-amoxiclav, co- beneldopa). Discontinued medicines will remain on MaPPs® for some time before being removed from the site. MaPPs® does not list all the ‘Over the Counter’ medicines and remedies patients’ may buy themselves, nor does it have all the nutritional products, intravenous fluids, and items listed in the full Drug Tariff (e.g. catheters, dressings). If you think the omission of the medicine you want patient information on is significant please let us know by using the ‘FEEDBACK’ link.

A: MaPPs® sticks pretty much to approved generic and branded names only. An exception has been made with some of the antiretroviral medicines like for example zidovudine and lamivudine which can be found using their common abbreviations (AZT and 3TC) as well as their generic and brand names.

A: Any medicine that is a prescribable medication should be there however some OTC compounds are not. If there is a particular one or two you would like to add please let us know ASAP via the ‘FEEDBACK’ link.

A: Because our information includes the things that research has shown that patients really want. Too much information can confuse and scare patients. Contraindications and interactions etc are the things a healthcare professional provides as part of their role.

A: The long lists of side effects in PILs can worry and confuse patients, so we include what our experience tells us is important, the frequent ones, the rare but important ones and any warnings or cautions to be aware of.

A: We add information as soon as it is available and validated. Because we are a small organisation, we can be faster than in a large organisation. We can also include unlicensed medicines as long as the information is sound.

A: Because there is sound evidence to support it and we feel that it will benefit patients. A simple example is amitriptyline used for neuropathic pain which is an unlicensed use of a licensed product.

A: Yes, but you will need to save the document on your network PC then attach to an email as you would with any other document, and of course must be in line with your organisations data protection policies.

A: The patient’s name is held on a brief and temporary basis while the PDF document is being prepared for the purposes of printing the name directly on the MaPPs® Leaflet. We do not store any patient data.

Note* A name need not be entered at all on MaPPs® by simply pressing to continue at the opening page, the leaflet will then be produced with no name on it

A: The patient name is only briefly held in the system till the profile is printed out – even if the PDF is saved the name will only show on the file that was saved and will not appear anywhere in our database. We can report on which medicines summaries every client has used per day, the number of medicines chosen per day and the number of print outs completed per day only.

A: The database which makes up the system is only accessible via https:// (a secure server) and is held on a separately UK hosted server used specifically for MaPPs® information only. 

Note* The demo portal is designed to be a demonstration with web access from anywhere hosted on http:// (unsecured server) as it is only populated with a small number of medicines. This allows the demo system to have the look and feel of MaPPs® but as a demonstration only to potential clients

A: Mistura Informatics, the provider of MaPPs® have Cybersecurity Essentials Plus Certification, and also have exceeded the requirements of the NHS Digital DPS Toolkit: https://www.dsptoolkit.nhs.uk/OrganisationSearch/8K451

Note* Our database is hosted on our own secure server with UK Fast (HSCN approved carrier) and can provide MaPPs® with an HSCN connection if required as an optional extra

A: Mistura have over 10 years of experience with several IT-based medicines information systems that have sold globally a huge customer base made up of a large number of NHS trusts in the UK and large health care organisations across the world. We offer UK developed, high-quality systems with 24-hour IT assistance if required provided from the North East of England.

Note* Should you have an additional question which does not feature above please do not hesitate to contact the team who will certainly be able to assist you with your query: admin@misturainformatics.org