Page 19 - MRS Abstracts March 2023

An Evaluation of the Virtual Osteoporosis Clinic's Approval Process
Yunzheng Jiao, Principal Pharmacist
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, Keele University Natalie Mitchell, Clinical Nurse Specialist
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Jennifer Marwick, Specialist Doctor in Osteoporosis The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Feryal Malik, Consultant Rheumatologist
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
Introduction:
Osteoporosis is a chronic skeletal disease characterised by a low bone mineral density, which increases the risk of fractures, disability, and mortality. Injectable bone-sparing agents, such as denosumab and zoledronic acid, are effective treatments for osteoporosis, but they carry potential serious adverse effect therefore require careful consideration of their safety and appropriateness before authorisation. (Anagnostis et al., 2019) (Salari et al., 2021).
To address this requirement, the Virtual Osteoporosis Clinic (VOC) was established at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust to centralise these evaluations and ensure optimal patient outcomes. VOC was initially led by a Specialist Doctor in Osteoporosis, from 2023, the VOC has transitioned to being managed by a prescribing pharmacist and a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) under the supervision of an osteoporosis physician.
This service evaluation aims to assess the approval process for injectable bone-sparing agents in the VOC. The objectives are to measure the approval timelines, identify factors causing delays, and propose changes to improve access to treatments.