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 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 Due to the high number of hits the website regularly received and its outdated and non-interactive format, it was decided to significantly revamp the site in 2008.

In order to be able to provide this website free to users, we rely on funding predominately from the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. The site is currently sponsored by Desitin Pharma UK, through an unrestricted educational grant. With the exception of the Resources section of this website, pharmaceutical and healthcare companies have no input into the content of the website or database of products, or have provided content. We will update information if contacted by companies only if this is to correct any errors.  In the Resources area of the website, which provides educational information for healthcare professional, does contain content that is sponsored by the companies and where this is the case this is clearly stated.

The website’s author has received some of his research funded from Pharmaceutical companies, however the vast majority of his research is government funded.