scholarly journals Exploring the impact of an automated prescription-filling device on community pharmacy technician workflow

2011 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 613-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin E. Walsh ◽  
Michelle Anne Chui ◽  
Mara A. Kieser ◽  
Staci M. Williams ◽  
Susan L. Sutter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Pharmacy ◽  
Pharmacy Technician ◽  
Filling Device ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Exploring the independent prescribing role of the community pharmacists in Wales

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. i35-i35
Author(s):  
S S Alghamdi ◽  
R Deslandes ◽  
S White ◽  
K Hodson ◽  
A Mackridge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Pharmacy ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Committee Report ◽  
Independent Prescribing ◽  
General Practices ◽  
The Government ◽  
Clinical Records ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Introduction Since 2019, the role of independent pharmacist prescribers (IPPs) in primary care has extended to community pharmacies in Wales [1]. This was in response to a Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee report in 2019 that outlined a plan to include an IPP in each community pharmacy in Wales by 2030. This aimed to relieve pressure on general practices, enhance patient care and reduce referral and admission rates to secondary care [2]. As funding was provided by the Government, the number of community pharmacists completing the independent prescribing course increased and many have implemented their prescribing role. Aim To explore the views of community IPPs regarding their prescribing role within community pharmacies in Wales. Methods Semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews were conducted with community IPPs from all seven health boards (HBs) in Wales. Ethical approval was obtained from the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Cardiff University and the School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering at Keele University. Purposive sampling was used to identify potential participants. Gatekeepers (HB community pharmacy leads and directors of IPP courses in Wales) sent invitation emails, participant information sheet and consent form to potential participants. Written consent was obtained. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed ad verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results Thirteen community IPPs across Wales participated. Six themes were identified, including the utilisation of their role as community IPPs, their experiences with their independent prescribing training, motivation to obtain their prescribing qualification and utilise it, the impact, barriers and facilitators to implement and utilise their role. Participants practised as IPPs in the management of minor ailments and some other conditions, such as respiratory and sexual health. The course and training for community IPPs was helpful, but there was a need to focus more on therapeutic and clinical examination skills. The main impact of the role was that it helped to improve communication between community pharmacies and general practices and relieved some pressure on general practices. The main barriers were the lack of appropriate funding by the Government to develop the role, lack of access to patients’ medical records, lack of support and high workload. “One of the areas identified as high risk is for pharmacy prescribers is the lack of access to clinical records. How can you [as community IPPs] make any sensible decisions with half the information?” IPP6 Facilitators included that some services were already in place and the drive from the 2030 vision. Conclusion This is the first study that explored the views of community IPPs regarding their prescribing role in community pharmacies in Wales. It provided an insight into this new role that can be considered by the Welsh Government to achieve the 2030 vision for this role. A limitation to this study was that the role is still new in community pharmacies, which may affect the views of the community IPPs. Many of them have obtained their prescribing qualification but have not started to utilise it yet. Further work is needed to explore a wider population of community IPPs’ experiences as the role develops. References 1. Wickware, C. 2019. All community pharmacies in Wales to have an independent prescriber as part of long-term plan for Welsh pharmacy. Available at: https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/news/all-community-pharmacies. 2. Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee. 2019. Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales. Available at: https://www.rpharms.com/Portals/0/RPS%2.

scholarly journals Investigating Community Pharmacy Take Home Naloxone Dispensing during COVID-19: The Impact of One Public Health Crisis on Another

Pharmacy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 129
Author(s):  
George Daskalakis ◽  
Ashley Cid ◽  
Kelly Grindrod ◽  
Michael A. Beazely
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Community Pharmacy ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Comfort Level ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Pharmacy Technicians ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Overdose Deaths

A recent report found that the number of opioid-related deaths in Ontario in the first 15 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic was 38.2% higher than in the 15 weeks before the pandemic. Our study sought to determine if pharmacy professionals self-reported an increase or decrease in naloxone provision due to the pandemic and to identify adjustments made by pharmacy professionals to dispense naloxone during the pandemic. A total of 231 Ontario community pharmacy professionals completed an online survey. Pharmacy professionals’ barriers, facilitators, and comfort level with dispensing naloxone before and during the pandemic were identified. The sample consisted of mostly pharmacists (99.1%). Over half (51.1%) reported no change in naloxone dispensing, while 22.9% of respondents reported an increase and 24.7% a decrease. The most common adjustments made during the pandemic were training patients how to administer naloxone over video or phone, delivering naloxone kits, and pharmacy technicians offering naloxone at prescription intake. Over half (55%) of participants said the top barrier for dispensing was that patients did not request naloxone. Naloxone distribution through pharmacies could be further optimized to address the increased incidence of overdose deaths during the pandemic. Future research should investigate the reasons for changes in naloxone dispensing.

scholarly journals Qualitative study using interviews and focus groups to explore the current and potential for antimicrobial stewardship in community pharmacy informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. e025101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah Ffion Jones ◽  
Rebecca Owens ◽  
Anna Sallis ◽  
Diane Ashiru-Oredope ◽  
Tracey Thornley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Community Pharmacy ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Intervention Development ◽  
Theoretical Domains Framework ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Pharmacy Staff ◽  
Barriers And Opportunities ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesCommunity pharmacists and their staff have the potential to contribute to antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). However, their barriers and opportunities are not well understood. The aim was to investigate the experiences and perceptions of community pharmacists and their teams around AMS to inform intervention development.DesignInterviews and focus groups were used to explore the views of pharmacists, pharmacy staff, general practitioners (GPs), members of pharmacy organisations and commissioners. The questioning schedule was developed using the Theoretical Domains Framework which helped inform recommendations to facilitate AMS in community pharmacy.Results8 GPs, 28 pharmacists, 13 pharmacy staff, 6 representatives from pharmacy organisations in England and Wales, and 2 local stakeholders participated.Knowledge and skills both facilitated or hindered provision of self-care and compliance advice by different grades of pharmacy staff. Some staff were not aware of the impact of giving self-care and compliance advice to help control antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The pharmacy environment created barriers to AMS; this included lack of time of well-qualified staff leading to misinformation from underskilled staff to patients about the need for antibiotics or the need to visit the GP, this was exacerbated by lack of space. AMS activities were limited by absent diagnoses on antibiotic prescriptions.Several pharmacy staff felt that undertaking patient examinations, questioning the rationale for antibiotic prescriptions and performing audits would allow them to provide more tailored AMS advice.ConclusionsInterventions are required to overcome a lack of qualified staff, time and space to give patients AMS advice. Staff need to understand how self-care and antibiotic compliance advice can help control AMR. A multifaceted educational intervention including information for staff with feedback about the advice given may help. Indication for a prescription would enable pharmacists to provide more targeted antibiotic advice. Commissioners should consider the pharmacists’ role in examining patients, and giving advice about antibiotic prescriptions.

SP8 Introducing a ward-based pharmacy technician to support the administration of paediatric medicines: an evaluation of parent and staff perspectives

2018 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. e1.50-e1
Author(s):  
Barker Catrin ◽  
Bartlett Donna ◽  
Brown Pauline ◽  
Bracken Louise ◽  
Bellis Jenny ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
List Type ◽  
Pharmacy Technician ◽  
Change In Practice ◽  
Specialist Knowledge ◽  
Medicines Optimisation ◽  
Medicine Administration ◽  
The Impact

AimTo determine the impact of replacing a nurse with a ward-based pharmacy technician as the second checker, in the process of administering medicines to children in hospital by exploring the views and experiences of parents and staff involved in the change in practice.MethodHaving undertaken additional in-house training, a pharmacy technician replaced the second nurse on medication ward rounds (second checker) for 10 months over two wards. This took place on a neuro-medical ward and a medical specialty ward. The pharmacy technician undertook roles relating to medicines administration, including: attending day time medicine administration rounds; checking accuracy and appropriateness of prescriptions; preparing/administering prescribed medicines; independently undertaking dosage calculations; recording the administration of medicines. Using their specialist knowledge and skills, the role aimed to improve medicines optimisation for patients and their families during their inpatient stay.Research staff conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with parents of patients who were administered medicines during the study period (n=12) and with staff involved with the change in practice, as well as an interview with the pharmacy technician themselves after leaving each ward. Families were recruited from the two wards. Semi-structured interviews with staff (n=14) gathered data on the perspectives and experiences of the contribution of the ward-based pharmacy technician across two wards. An exploratory approach was taken using Thematic Analysis.1 Interviews were transcribed verbatim and anonymised. The research team familiarised themselves with transcripts by reading in full and generating initial codes using text from the data. Themes were generated and discussed between the team to produce an overall story of the analysis. Interviews were conducted over a 4 month period.ResultsParents discussed the importance of communication about their child’s medicines in hospital. Some parents were aware of the pharmacy technician’s role as second checker. Parents recognised the benefits of the technician’s background and expertise, and their contribution to the ward team.Fourteen staff interviews were conducted including the ward based pharmacy technician (after leaving each ward), the Chief Pharmacist, the Director of Nursing, a Ward Manager, Nursing and Pharmacy staff. Staff commented how the pharmacy technician provided a link between the Pharmacy and Nursing teams, alleviating nurses of administration duties and allowing them to spend more time with patients. The role was also seen as educational allowing for nurses to refresh their knowledge on medication storage procedures and alternative methods of administration.ConclusionTo the research team’s knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to assess the potential benefits of introducing a ward-based pharmacy technician as a second checker. This novel role extension releases nursing staff time to undertake more patient-centred nursing duties. In addition, the specialist knowledge of the pharmacy technician at the point of medicine administration had a positive impact on medicines optimisation for children in hospital, providing more effective administration of medicines and contributing to wider patient safety in paediatric settings. Although further evaluation is required, our findings indicate that parental and staff support the future development of this service.ReferenceBraun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology 2006;3(2):77–101.

scholarly journals Time and Motion Study of Influenza Diagnostic Testing in a Community Pharmacy

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Klepser ◽  
Allison Dering-Anderson ◽  
Jacqueline Morse ◽  
Michael Klepser ◽  
Stephanie Klepser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Pharmacy ◽  
Clinical Laboratory ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Pharmacy Technician ◽  
Time And Motion Study ◽  
Time And Motion ◽  
Motion Study ◽  
Time Required

Background: It has been shown that use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) is able to reduce costs and improve the prescribing practice of antivirals (i.e. oseltamivir) among patients with influenza-like illnesses (ILIs). Using existing Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA)-waived RDTs and collaborative practice agreements, similar to those used to allow pharmacists to administer vaccines, it is possible for patients to seek point-of-care treatment for influenza or flu-like symptoms at a local pharmacy. Following a review of the patient's symptoms by a trained pharmacist, the qualified patient is offered an RDT to determine if the influenza virus is the cause of the symptoms. Based on the results of the RDT, the patient is provided with the appropriate treatment as defined by an approved practice agreement. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of incorporating an RDT for influenza into community pharmacy practice. Methods: This time and motion study was conducted at three community pharmacy locations, and a total of eight simulated patient visits were completed utilizing a standardized patient. In addition to determining a total time of the encounter, each simulation was divided into nine timed sub-categories. For data analysis, the time spent in each of the nine sub-categories was assigned to the pharmacist, pharmacy technician, or patient. Time and motion methodologies were used to estimate the total time required to provide the RDT service, to determine the amount of active time required of the pharmacist and pharmacy technician, and to evaluate the ability of the staff to provide the service within its existing workflow. Results: The average total time to complete the entire patient encounter for an influenza assessment utilizing an RDT was 35.5 minutes (± 3.1 minutes). On average, the pharmacist spent 9.4 minutes (± 3 minutes) per encounter or about 26.5% of the entire encounter. When the pharmacy technician collected the vital signs, the pharmacist-required time was reduced to 4.95 minutes (± 2.7 minutes), which was about a 48% reduction. Conclusions: The results indicate that an RDT program for influenza assessment required no more than a modest amount of pharmacist time and could be successfully incorporated into regular workflow with little to no disruption of other activities. As such, this approach to influenza management may be a feasible service for community pharmacies to offer patients. This was especially true if the pharmacy had well-trained technicians on staff that could support the service with collection of patient histories and vital signs.   Type: Original Research

scholarly journals Interventions Delivered in the Community Pharmacy to Manage Allergic Rhinitis- A Systematic Review of the Literature

Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Jéssica José ◽  
Biljana Cvetkovski ◽  
Vicky Kritikos ◽  
Rachel Tan ◽  
Sinthia Bosnic-Anticevich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Allergic Rhinitis ◽  
Community Pharmacy ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Symptom Control ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Valuable Role

Pharmacists have a valuable role in the management of allergic rhinitis (AR) at the community pharmacy level. This role has been reported extensively in numerous papers. However, a systematic review of the available literature and a comprehensive analysis of the outcomes has not been published. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the impact of interventions developed by pharmacists on clinical AR outcomes. A thorough search was performed in three electronic databases, including studies published between January 2000 and June 2019. After the selection process, only three articles met the inclusion criteria and were further analysed. Despite the scarcity of the available studies, in all of them was clear that the pharmacist plays a pivotal role in the management of AR, significantly improving the patients’ quality of life and symptom control. This systematic review also stresses the utmost importance to investigate and report practices and interventions developed by pharmacists using measurable outcomes.

scholarly journals Quality improvement in community pharmacy: a qualitative investigation of the impact of a postgraduate quality improvement educational module on pharmacists understanding and practice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asam Latif ◽  
Nargis Gulzar ◽  
Sejal Gohil ◽  
Theo Ansong
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Community Pharmacy ◽  
Educational Intervention ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Educational Module ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Motivation For Learning ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective Quality improvement (QI) is increasingly featuring in the United Kingdom (UK) National Health Service (NHS) agenda to promote safety, effectiveness and patient experience. However, the use of QI techniques by healthcare professionals appears limited and constrained with only isolated examples of good practice. This study explores QI within the pharmacy context. Focusing on the community pharmacy ‘Healthy Living Pharmacy scheme’, this study aims to explore changes in QI understanding resulting from a postgraduate QI educational intervention. Methods Four focus groups were held involving 13 community pharmacists enrolled onto a newly developed postgraduate QI educational module. Two focus groups were held before and two after the module’s completion. Knowledge of QI and practical applications following the learning was explored. Key findings Three themes emerged: pharmacists’ motivation for learning about QI, conceptual understanding and translation into practice. Pharmacists expressed positive views about learning new skills but expressed logistical concerns about how they would accommodate the extra learning. Prior knowledge of QI was found to be lacking and its application in practice ineffectual. Following completion of the QI module, significant improvements in comprehension and application were seen. Pharmacists considered it too soon to make an assessment on patient outcomes as their improvements required time to effectively embed changes in practice. Conclusions Quality improvement forms an important part of the NHS quality and safety agenda; however, community pharmacists may not currently have adequate knowledge of QI principles. The postgraduate educational intervention showed promising results in pharmacist’s knowledge, organisational culture and application in practice.

scholarly journals Quality evaluation of community pharmacy blood pressure (BP) screening services: an English cross-sectional survey with geospatial analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. e032342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravina Barrett ◽  
James Hodgkinson
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Community Pharmacy ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Service Utilisation ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Undiagnosed Hypertension ◽  
Service Redesign ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesThe primary objective was to assess the accuracy (calibration and validation status) of digital blood pressure (BP) monitors used within community pharmacy in England and the secondary objectives were to assess the overall quality of the BP service by assessing service prevalence, service utilisation and other in-service considerations.DesignA cross-sectional survey.SettingPrimary-care retail-pharmacies.Participants500 pharmacies that contribute to government dispensing-data were invited by post to complete the survey. Private contractors were excluded.InterventionsWe conducted a questionnaire survey with a follow-up (September 2018 to December 2018).Results109 responses were received. 61% (n=66) of responding pharmacies provided a free BP check to their patients. 40 (61%) pharmacies used recommended validated clinical metres, 6 (9%) had failed validation and 20 (30%) provided too little information to enable us to determine their monitor’s status.ConclusionsResponding pharmacies were able to provide useful BP monitoring services to their patients, though quality enhancements need to be implemented. Majority of pharmacies use validated BP monitors, however, there was a lack of range of cuff sizes, variation in replacement and calibration of monitors and apparent absence of such practice in a minority of pharmacies alongside variation in training standards. We noted higher frequency of BP screening in the most deprived postcodes.We recommend in-service redesign and delivery improvements, and suggest professional bodies and researchers work together to create clearer frameworks for front-line practitioners, creating appropriate incentives to facilitate this service redesign.Funders and policy setters should consider the value added to the National Health Service and other healthcare agencies of such screening by pharmacy providers both nationally and internationally. It has the potential to reduce complications of undiagnosed hypertension and the medicines burden that it creates. Future work should examine the impact of pharmacist-led BP screening on patients.

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