Uniphar Group’s Post

Pharmacy First – how’s it going? We caught up with Community Pharmacy Nottinghamshire board member and Business Development Manager & Trainee Pharmacist Supervisor for Peak Pharmacy, Linda Ferguson, to find out how Pharmacy First is going for Linda and her colleagues. Thanks so much for the valuable feedback Linda, some great insights! • How many Pharmacy First consultations have you carried out since 31st January? Each Peak Pharmacy – reached or exceed the target to achieve the £1k per month.   • What are the most common of the 7 common conditions you’re seeing and treating? Sore throat then UTI.   • What is the split between self-referrals/walk-ins and GP referrals? Predominantly self-referral but we are also seeing referrals from GP practices as well as practices sign-posting patients to community pharmacy.   • What has been the response to the Pharmacy First service amongst your customers and the wider local community? We've had lots of positivity from customers and local GPs where the understanding is good (some GPs still not quite there but that will change over time.) • What are you doing to promote Pharmacy First in your pharmacy? In-pharmacy posters, Rx bag leaflets, website and posts on Facebook etc. LINDA'S TOP TIPS ✅ Remember it is a whole team approach, including locums. ✅ Train the whole team and counter team to spot possible patients. ✅ Train pharmacists to follow each of the seven clinical pathways and understand PharmOutcomes. #pharmacyfirst #communitypharmacy #pharmacist #toptips

This is a good example why pharmacies in Estonia should not rely on government funding for services. It can only be an ancilliary task. It is just non-reliable. The solution is the never-ending theme about mark-ups. When we get drug mark-ups to the AVG of 20%, this should suffice for a while. At the moment I am not that sure whether the state understands what she has already done. Basically the need to sell other products creates a job for non-medical personnel, yeah. The pharmacist is allowed to handle foodstuffs, this is derived from the situation when she can handle drugs; the same is true for medical devices compensated by the state - pharmacist can sell them, because pharmacist can sell also drugs, no need for special training up to now (although, it would be of use, sure). But, the non-medical personnel have none of these rights, actually. This is all just a workaround. And depriving POSs of income creates an empty space that has been filled with such untrained non-medical personnel exactly. 2 things should be done asap: a) raise mark-ups on drugs. b) organize training for handling of foodstuffs and compensated medical devices (orthosis and such) for the non-medical personnel (and actually also for pharmacists it would not hurt) The whole idea of increasing efficiency - the state is doing it herself. The only way to raise salaries in public institutions is to sack someone and say that we have "increased efficiency" and have one FTE-s worth of salary to share between us (reminds me a bit one case about ethics Michael Sandel discussed about an old British court case when after shipwreck a sailor was eaten on a boat so others could survive and the Kant-ish approach was taken by British court that it was absolutely wrong; in EE I think we have this utilitarian approach where ends justify the means ;) ). Let´s not eat the poor colleague.

The introduction of pharmacists as the first point of contact in healthcare is an admirable initiative, aimed at improving patient care. However, the implementation of this program seems rushed, especially considering the ongoing struggles faced by pharmacists and their teams. Thus, it is important to reconsider and rewrite the plan to ensure a smoother transition and effective support for all parties involved.

𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 Pharmacies, both retail and independent community stores, are closing nationwide. This is causing problems everywhere, but the most significant loss to the community is the pharmacist. Prescriptions can be mail ordered, so medicine is still available, but no counseling is required in these postal transactions. Aside from the loss of accessible healthcare professionals, losing counseling and healthcare advice–the most critical aspects of the dispensing process–is a severe blow to communities with closed pharmacies. Despite closures, pharmacists are resilient, and as retail stores come and go, independent community pharmacists remain. This is the community that RxE2 is tapping into. In the context of clinical trials, this is an essential point because it’s not the pharmacy that gets involved in trials; it's the pharmacist. RxE2 has 4,000 independent community pharmacists on our platform and is still growing. Many of these serve the communities that retail pharmacies are leaving. We are expanding our clinical trial capability by enrolling independent pharmacists who are available to conduct clinical trials across the diverse neighborhoods they have always served. While pharmacies may not be meeting the needs of their communities, pharmacists are. #communitypharmacy #clinicaltrials #pharmacy

If you're joining us at this weekend's TPA event, make sure to visit us at booth #302. Let's chat about optimizing your cash strategy and explore how integrating AI pricing can enhance your roadmap to success. See you there! #TPA #AI

Each pharmacist has their own path to the pharmacy profession, with some choosing to obtain board certification along the way. Brian Potoski, BCPS, BCIDP, shared his path to pharmacy with ASHP in this insightful video. Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/ei2pgVxv

Learn how to foster inclusivity in the workplace through microaffirmations during the June 18th APhA Hot Topics webinar from 1-2 pm ET. This is an APhA member-only activity that offers CE credit to both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. More details and registration information can be found here: https://ow.ly/8tQm50Sh30M #forpharmacy

“The service is unsafe when no adequate training is done. For otitis media I only examined the ear of a fellow pharmacist sitting next to me on the training day! If that’s enough training to examine patient’s ears then I really must be a confused healthcare professional! I just feel that patients will be used as guinea pigs and by trial and error we will hopefully get there in the end! I personally do not think the level or the durations of face to face trainings are adequate by any company as we are all struggling for time! I work as a locum in supermarket pharmacies. Most of the time I am having to self check as there are no dispensers available or even if they are, I am told are not getting paid enough to dispense. Can we honestly think that under these circumstances, we can provide an efficient and safe service. We have always had the motto of “welfare of the patient” comes first and foremost by our regulatory bodies. Is this really not jeopardising patient safety. Supermarkets are open after hours and yet they are operated by just one pharmacist and not a single trained dispenser. Is it honestly feasible to be seeing and examining patients from 111 for PF plus carrying out the tasks of dispensing, checking , doing the walk in prescriptions (which normally peaks after about 5pm), do the queries over the phone, OTC queries when patients demand to speak to the pharmacist, provide service to our substance miss users, write up CDs given out ( normally a few) etc.Each stage of these steps takes time and I just cannot imagine it’s feasible to provide a safe and effective service when it comes to doing PF referrals on top of all these. Company I work for on a regular basis refuses to provide extra pay for the PF service provided. I have tried to negotiate the unfair rates of pay but it’s mostly rejected. I think we pharmacists are not trained adequately for PF and even if we are there is no support given at the time of performing the service of PF or at least this is what I have faced in supermarket pharmacies! I am being told to avoid such supermarkets to work in! How can you avoid when this problem resides in the majority of the stores and I’ve been told by colleagues they are also facing the same issue. I have been shouted at by patients from 111 when they have come in “to collect” their antibiotic or “to collect” their inhaler or “ to collect “ their emergency supplies of their medication!! Our colleagues at 111 do not realise or appreciate that giving the wrong message or information will end up in patient’s disappointment with our services and the break of their trust. I truly think this whole PF has not been thought through thoroughly and we will soon have a lot of complaints from patients for not receiving a service that is so well advertised but so poorly provided!” Bit of a long read but I think this feedback from the TPC PFS Survey sums up what a lot of Pharmacists are thinking. Link to survey: https://lnkd.in/e75eNkGv

🚨 Attention Missouri and Wisconsin Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians! 🚨 Don't forget these important deadlines: 1. Missouri Pharmacy Technicians: Your license renewal is due on May 31. Ensure you've completed the necessary steps to maintain your licensure. 2. Wisconsin Board of Pharmacy Licensees: Biennial license renewal is crucial to retain your right to practice. Renewal applications must be submitted by May 31. Remember to complete your 30 CE hours every 2 years prior to the renewal date. 3. Wisconsin Pharmacy Technicians: Biennial license renewal is also required for Wisconsin-licensed pharmacy technicians. Renewal applications are due by May 31, along with the renewal fee. Stay on top of these deadlines to ensure uninterrupted practice and compliance. #PharmacyUpdates #LicenseRenewal #ContinuingEducation

It’s been quite a while coming but it looks like - finally - pharmacists are on the way to performing the wider primary care role they have wanted for so long, through the newly launched Pharmacy First scheme. Let’s hope they get the necessary support that will see it succeed, as everyone stands to benefit. #healthcare #consumerhealth #pharmacyfirst #pharmacy #nhsengland #primaryhealthcare #earlyintervention #training Pharmacy Magazine https://lnkd.in/emryfC3a