Pharmacists are to visit housebound patients to see if they are having any problems with their medication.

The scheme is being tried out on 30 patients living in the Eastbourne Downs Primary Care Trust (PCT) area.

The PCT says groups of elderly patients are more susceptible to problems.

These include people taking complicated medicine combinations and those who may have some sort of physical or other impairment.

Housebound patients often do not have the same access to primary care services as others.

Ten local community pharmacists are visiting patients in their homes and liaising with GPs and carers. If successful, the scheme could be extended to other patients.