5 Minutes with Lloyd Evans

1. Who are you and what do you do at Access Group?  

My name is Lloyd, and I am the Industry & Solutions Lead within Access Group’s Health, Support & Care Division. I specialise in Access Point of Care and our residential care solutions, acting as the product expert across these areas.  

My role involves working closely with prospective and existing clients to demonstrate how our solutions can meet their needs, support implementation projects, and helping ensure customers achieve the maximum value from our products. I also collaborate with teams across the business to develop resources, enhance product capabilities, and ensure our solutions continue to deliver the best possible outcomes for our clients.  

  
2. What's your background, and what led you to specialise in medication management and care technology?  

I have been helping care providers implement technology solutions for almost 20 years, including the last 15 years with Access. During that time, I have witnessed the sector rapidly embrace digital transformation, and I am particularly excited about the growing impact of AI in further enhancing the way technology supports care services.  

What I enjoy most is seeing how technology can make a genuine difference to the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society. One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is hearing first-hand from clients about how digital tools have empowered their teams, improved outcomes, and enabled better quality of life for the people they support.  

  
3. What's changed most in the way care providers approach medication management in recent years?   

One of the biggest changes in recent years has been the shift from paper-based medication management to fully digital processes. Care providers have increasingly recognised that technology is not just about improving efficiency, but also about enhancing safety, compliance, and the quality of care being delivered.  

Electronic Medication Administration Records (eMAR) have become far more widely adopted, giving care teams real-time visibility of medication administration, reducing the risk of errors, and providing a clear audit trail. Providers are also using digital tools to improve communication with pharmacies, monitor medication trends, and ensure regulatory requirements are met more effectively.  

More recently, we have seen growing interest in data-driven insights and artificial intelligence. Care providers are looking beyond simply recording information and are exploring how technology can help identify risks, highlight missed medications, spot patterns in outcomes, and support more proactive decision-making.  

Ultimately, the focus has shifted from digitising a process to using technology as a strategic tool that helps improve resident safety, supports staff, and drives better outcomes for the people receiving care.  

  
4. What should providers look for in an eMAR or medication management system beyond simply having an electronic MAR?   

Beyond simply replacing a paper MAR with an electronic version, providers should be looking for a medication management solution that improves safety, resilience, efficiency, and clinical oversight across the entire organisation.  

Firstly, offline resilience is critical. Care doesn't stop if there is an internet outage, so providers need confidence that staff can continue to access medication information, administer medicines safely, and record activity even when connectivity is lost. A system that continues to function offline and automatically synchronises once a connection is restored helps ensure continuity of care and reduces operational risk.  

Integration with pharmacies and GP systems is another key consideration. The more seamlessly information can flow between care providers, pharmacies, and primary care teams, the less duplication there is and the lower the risk of transcription errors. Effective integrations can help streamline prescription management, improve communication, and ensure medication records remain accurate and up to date.  

Providers should also consider whether medication management sits within a single, integrated care platform. Having eMAR and care records in separate systems can create silos and make it harder for staff to build a complete picture of an individual's wellbeing. A unified platform enables medication information to be viewed alongside care plans, observations, incidents, and assessments, helping teams make more informed decisions and deliver more person-centred care.  

Another important capability is the use of automated notifications and intelligent monitoring. Rather than relying on managers to manually review records, the system should proactively alert teams to potential issues such as medication trends, missed doses, recurring omissions, stock shortages, or medication due to expire. These insights allow organisations to intervene earlier and avoid issues before they affect care delivery.  

Finally, providers should look at how the solution is leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI has the potential to move medication management from a reactive process to a proactive one by identifying patterns and highlighting risks that may otherwise go unnoticed. For example, AI can help flag unusual medication trends, identify residents at increased risk of medication-related incidents, highlight potential compliance concerns, and support managers in prioritising areas that require attentioUltimately, the best medication management systems do far more than digitise medication administration. They provide a connected, resilient, and intelligent platform that helps care teams work more efficiently, reduces risk, and enables better outcomes for the people they support. 

Ultimately, the best medication management systems do far more than digitise medication administration. They provide a connected, resilient, and intelligent platform that helps care teams work more efficiently, reduces risk, and enables better outcomes for the people they support.    

5. What’s one medication management issue you wish more care providers would address sooner?   

One medication management issue I wish more care providers would address sooner is trend analysis around medication refusals and PRN (as required) medication usage, and the impact these trends have on the wider care plan.  

Individual refusals or PRN administrations are often viewed as isolated events, but when patterns begin to emerge, they can provide important insight into a person's changing needs, wellbeing, and risks. The challenge is that these patterns can be difficult to identify when medication records are reviewed separately from the rest of the care record.  

For example, if a resident is regularly refusing medication, this could indicate issues such as discomfort, side effects, difficulties with swallowing, changes in cognition, or simply a preference around the timing or method of administration. Equally, an increase in PRN medication usage may point to worsening pain, increased anxiety, changes in behaviour, poor sleep, or other underlying health concerns.  

The key point is that medication records do not exist in isolation. There are important interdependencies between eMAR data and the wider care record. Trends in refusals or PRN usage should prompt a review of care plans, risk assessments, observations, behavioural support plans, and clinical interventions. Likewise, changes recorded elsewhere in the care record should provide context for understanding medication trends.  

For example, if PRN medication for anxiety is being administered more frequently, the care plan may need updating to reflect new triggers, interventions, or support strategies. If a resident is regularly refusing medication, there may be a requirement to review their capacity assessment, communication preferences, administration approach, or involve the GP and wider multidisciplinary team to reassess treatment options.  

This is why having medication management embedded within a single, integrated care platform is so valuable. When medication information can be viewed alongside care plans, daily notes, observations, incidents, and assessments, organisations gain a much more complete picture of what is happening and can make better-informed decisions.  

Looking ahead, the opportunity lies in using automated trend analysis and AI-driven insights to identify these interdependencies proactively. Rather than expecting managers to manually join the dots between multiple records, technology can highlight increasing PRN usage, recurring refusals, changes in observations, or emerging behavioural patterns, prompting an earlier review of both medication and care planning.  

Ultimately, medication management should not be seen as a standalone process. The real value comes from understanding the relationship between medication activity and the wider care journey, allowing providers to take earlier action, personalise support, and achieve better outcomes for the people they care for.