Introduction And History To Website

Following some research by the website's author in 2002 in the Nursing Standard, to determine the level of swallowing difficulties in care homes and exactly what carers were doing with medicines to make them easier to swallow, the need for advice for an easily accessible information source for patient, carers and healthcare professionals was identified. This need was further supported by some research in 2005 which identified that two thirds of patients with swallowing difficulties had had to resort to tampering with their medicines to make them easier to swallow.

The first website was set up in 2004 with significant help from a UEA pharmacy summer student, Portia Jackson, who herself went on to publish some interesting work looking at what nurses do with medicines at the bedside in hospital.

Due to the high number of hits which the website regularly receives and its outdated and non-interactive format it was decided to significantly revamp the site in 2008 with the help of Click Routes and an unrestricted educational grant from Rosemont Pharmaceuticals.

Rosemont manufacture both licensed and unlicensed (specials) liquid medicines along with a number of other companies within the UK. They have had no input into the content of the website or any of the provided text and have not asked for any amendments to any of the content. The website's author has had some of his research funded by Rosemont Pharmaceuticals however his research is mainly government funded. The website is now managed by Sarah Woods who works closely with David Wright and has a personal interest in the topic having experienced days of receiving crushed medicines whilst in hospital.

It is hoped that by adding a moderated discussion forum to the website it will enable both users to exchange ideas and the content of the website to evolve independently.