The responsibilities of community pharmacists and pharmacy staff in care home settings involve:

• Collecting prescriptions
• Dispensing
• Ensuring medicines are safe, appropriate and up-to-date with any changes from previous medicines cycles
• Audits
• Delivery of medicines
• Advice and support.

Pharmacy technicians have a responsibility for pharmaceutical care and, more specifically, medicines optimisation. Helping to optimise the use of medicines for residents living in care homes is critical, as evidence shows that they tend to have more co-morbidity, take more medicines and be more at risk than patients in the community. However, the pharmacy team may encounter difficulties, since responsibility for medicines-related issues is often shared with other healthcare professionals, such as senior carers, nurses and district nurses. It is therefore important that that pharmacy teams work closely with other healthcare professionals. 

Effective communication and building positive relationships with everyone involved in the care of residents is vital, as is understanding the roles of others and how these roles are connected. This will ensure the best medicines outcomes for residents.

The pharmacy team's roles and responsibilities within a care home are varied and complex. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has produced a useful guidance document outlining what needs to change in how medicines are used in care homes, and the difference pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can make.