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Found 183 results
  1. News Article
    A locum responsible pharmacist has been issued a warning after a patient died when he dispensed the wrong strength of oxycodone during a staffing crunch, the regulator has revealed. Paresh Gordhanbhai Patel supplied 120mg rather than the prescribed 20mg of oxycodone hydrochloride to an “elderly” patient while working two locum shifts as responsible pharmacist at Crompton Pharmacy at Whitley House Surgery in Chelmsford. After taking one tablet, the patient died from an “accidental” oxycodone “overdose”, the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) fitness-to-practise (FtP) committee heard at a hearing held on 11-13 September. Mr Patel admitted that he was “stressed and overtired” when he failed to notice a “discrepancy” between the prescribed strength of oxycodone and what he ordered and dispensed, The regulator heard that Mr Patel was “over-conscientious” and felt compelled “at a human level” to help out at the under-staffed pharmacy, despite the fact that it was “not safe to do so”, it added. Mr Patel admitted that his errors “amounted to misconduct” and conceded to the committee that his fitness to practise was “impaired” because he “breached one of the fundamental principles of the pharmacy profession.” The regulator heard that Mr Patel had “immediately” admitted his mistake to the pharmacy and did so again at the coroner’s inquest, where he also publicly apologised to the patient’s family. Read full story Source: Chemist and Druggist, 12 October 2023
  2. News Article
    Valproate-containing medicines will be dispensed in the manufacturer’s original full pack, following changes in regulations coming into effect on Wednesday 11 October 2023. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has published new guidance for dispensers to support this change. Following a government consultation, this change to legislation has been made to ensure that patients always receive specific safety warnings and pictograms, including a patient card and the Patient Information Leaflet, which are contained in the manufacturer’s original full pack. These materials form a key part of the safety messaging and alert patients to the risks to the unborn baby if valproate-containing medicines are used in pregnancy. The changes follow a consultation on original pack dispensing and supply of medicines containing sodium valproate led by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), in which there was overwhelming support for the introduction of the new measures, to further support safety of valproate-containing medicines. Minister for Public Health, Maria Caulfield, said: “This safety information will help patients stay informed about risks of valproate, and I encourage all dispensers of valproate to consult the new guidance carefully. “This continues our commitment to listening and learning from the experiences of people impacted by valproate and their families and using what we hear to improve patient safety.” Read full story Source: MHRA, 11 October 2023
  3. Content Article
    This is guidance for dispensing of valproate-containing medicines in the manufacturer’s original full pack, following amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations (HMRs). These amendments currently apply in England, Scotland and Wales. This guidance should be regarded as good practice by pharmacists in Northern Ireland. The change comes into force in England, Scotland and Wales from 11 October 2023. 
  4. Content Article
    These videos posted by Melissa Sheldrick tell the story of her son Andrew, who died aged eight from a medication error. The investigation into Andrew's death found that he had been given baclofen by his pharmacy instead of the tryptophan he had been prescribed. When tested, the dose of baclofen in the bottle given to Andrew contained three times the lethal dose of baclofen for adults. PSMF Melissa's story. In this video, Andrew's mother Melissa talks about what happened to Andrew and how it led to her campaigning for mandatory reporting of medication errors by pharmacists across Canada, Australia and the US. Patients taking the lead: Collaborating for safer healthcare. This presentation was originally given at the World Health Organization's (WHO's) World Patient Safety Day conference on 12 September 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland. Melissa tells Andrew's story and talks about how she has raised awareness of gaps in accountability for pharmacies and pharmacists. She describes how she was invited to be part of a taskforce to improve safety in pharmacy by the pharmacy regulator in her home state of Ontario—this was the first time a member of the public had been included in such a taskforce.
  5. News Article
    Prescribers should not start any new patients on some ADHD medicines because of a national shortage, the Department for Health and Social Care has warned. GPs are also being asked to identify and contact all patients currently prescribed the medicines to ensure they have supplies to last. A national patient safety alert said there were ‘supply disruptions’ of various strengths of methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine and guanfacine. It follows a previous alert about shortages of atomoxetine capsules in August which is set to resolve next month, DHSC said. The shortages are due to a combination of manufacturing issues and an increased global demand, the alert explained. With the latest issues expected to continue to December for some medicines, new patients should not be started on the products affected by shortages until the supply issue resolves, the guidance sent to healthcare professionals said. Where patients do not have enough to last until the re-supply date – which differs depending on the medicine in question – GPs are being asked to contact pharmacies to find out about stocks and reach out to the patient’s specialist team for advice if a product cannot be sourced. Read full story Source: Pulse, 28 September 2023
  6. Content Article
    Standardising community pharmacy information so it can be shared digitally should reduce the burden on GPs and lead to safer, more personalised care, writes Stephen Goundrey-Smith. The Professional Record Standards Body’s (PRSB) Community Pharmacy Standard enables information to be recorded in the community pharmacy and sent to the person’s GP and all the services covered by the England Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework. Having access to better information will allow the community pharmacy team to take on a greater range of clinical services and reduce the burden on GPs and other parts of the health and care system. It will also raise the profile of the clinical contribution that community pharmacists make to the wider NHS.
  7. Content Article
    The Department of Health and Social Care is consulting jointly with the Department of Health Northern Ireland to seek your views on amending the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to enable pharmacy technicians to supply and administer medicines using patient group directions (PGDs). This proposal supports the ambitions of NHS systems across the UK to maximise the use of the skill mix within pharmacy teams, enabling them to meet more of the health needs of their local populations. Deadline: 29 September 2023.
  8. Content Article
    People rely on prescription medication to treat and manage their conditions and keep well. Based on analysis of public feedback from local Healthwatch and from a webform on pharmacies, this blog by Healthwatch England highlights the challenges people face when trying to get prescription medication. It outlines the following key issues: Shortages of medication Delays in getting repeat prescriptions issued Shortages of staff Closed pharmacies
  9. News Article
    Sharri Shaw walked out of the CVS on Vermont Avenue in South Los Angeles in 2019 believing she had a prescription for the pain reliever acetaminophen. Instead the bottle held a medicine to treat high blood pressure, a problem she did not have. Shaw began taking the pills, not learning of the mistake until six days later when a CVS employee arrived at her home, according to a lawsuit she filed last year. The employee told her not to take the tablets, the lawsuit said, before leaving the correct prescription at her door. The mistake, she said, left her stunned. Shaw’s experience is far from an isolated event. California pharmacies make an estimated 5 million errors every year, according to the state’s Board of Pharmacy. Officials at the regulatory board say they can only estimate the number of errors because pharmacies are not required to report them. Most of the mistakes that California officials have discovered, according to citations issued by the board and reviewed by The Times, occurred at chain pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens, where a pharmacist may fill hundreds of prescriptions during a shift, while juggling other tasks such as giving vaccinations, calling doctors’ offices to confirm prescriptions and working the drive-through. Christopher Adkins, a pharmacist who worked at CVS, and then at Vons pharmacies until March, said that management policies at the big chains have resulted in understaffed stores and overworked staff. “At this point it’s completely unsafe,” he said. Read full story Source: Los Angeles Times, 5 September 2023
  10. News Article
    A group of potent synthetic opioids called nitazenes have been linked to a rise in overdoses and deaths in people who use drugs, primarily heroin, in England over the past two months, drug regulators have warned. The Office for Health Improvements and Disparities has issued a National Patient Safety Alert on potent synthetic opioids implicated in heroin overdoses and deaths. In the past 8 weeks there has been an elevated number of overdoses (with some deaths) in people who use drugs, primarily heroin, in many parts of the country (reports are geographically widespread, with most regions affected but only a few cities or towns in each region). Testing in some of these cases has found nitazenes, a group of potent synthetic opioids. Nitazenes have been identified previously in this country, but their use has been more common in the USA. Their potency and toxicity are uncertain but perhaps similar to, or more than fentanyl, which is about 100x morphine. The National Patient Safety Alert provides further background and clinical information and actions for providers.
  11. Community Post

    Better use of data for medication safety in hospitals

    Kenny Fraser

    Kenny Fraser posted a topic in Medicine management

    NHS hospital staff spend countless hours capturing data in electronic prescribing and medicines administration systems. Yet that data remains difficult to access and use to support patient care. This is a tremendous opportunity to improve patient safety, drive efficiencies and save time for frontline staff. I have just published a post about this challenge and Triscribe's solution. I would love to hear any comments or feedback on the topic... How could we use this information better? What are hospitals already doing? Where are the gaps? Thanks
  12. Content Article
    Medication nonadherence - when patients don’t take their medications as prescribed - is unfortunately fairly common, with research showing that patients don’t take their medications as prescribed about half the time. The phenomenon has added consequences for patients with chronic disease. When this is the case, it is important for physicians and other health professionals to understand why patients don’t take their medications. This will help teams identify and improve patients’ adherence to their medications. This article by AMA, highlights eight reasons why patients don't take their medications.
  13. Content Article
    Community pharmacies are offering an increased range of services to support care for people in the community. It is therefore essential that they are able to record and share vital information about a person’s care with GP practices and other services. Using digital standards, we can ensure that care professionals and citizens have timely access to relevant information, leading to better, safer and more personalised care in the community. This Community Pharmacy Standard developed by the Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB) defines the information that should be recorded in the community pharmacy and sent to the person’s GP, for all the services covered by the English Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework.
  14. Content Article
    Medicines can be purchased online from anywhere in the world. In 2021, nearly 53 million items were dispensed from online pharmacies in England, up 300% since 2016. In this blog, Dr Georgia Richards outlines the need for caution when buying medicines online, highlighting that online purchase of medications was cited in 16 Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) reports between 2013 and 2019. She highlights coroners concerns concerns about: the ease of obtaining drugs via the Internet without any contact with the patient’s medical practitioner or access to the patient’s records. the inability to limit the volume or the frequency of ordering. issues with the regulation of supply, importation and delivery of controlled class A drugs via the international and UK postal system. lack of regulation of the dark web.
  15. News Article
    The government has failed to change ‘restrictive’ legislation which would enable primary care reform – despite repeated announcements – a pharmacy leader has said. Currently, pharmacy technicians cannot take on dispensing tasks without supervision from a pharmacist but the government promised in 2019 to look at how legislation can be updated to allow pharmacy technicians to take more of a role in dispensing, as part of the current five-year Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework, which ends next year. The government has repeatedly announced and reannounced over the past five years that it wants to remove restrictions to give community pharmacy an expanded role. But in a new report shared exclusively with HSJ, the Company Chemists’ Association – the trade body with members including Asda, Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy and Superdrug – highlights that government has failed to make progress. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 7 June 2023
  16. Content Article
    This editorial in The Guardian looks at the Government's approach to relieving pressure on GPs, which involves diverting patients to other areas of primary care, including pharmacies. The article highlights potential risks and issues associated with the approach, including the workforce issues currently facing community pharmacy and the comparative lack of standards and regulations for pharmacies. It argues that the Government's approach simply moves the issue to other areas of the healthcare system, rather than dealing with the root cause of the issue facing GP surgeries—retention and recruitment.
  17. Content Article
    This article summarises the findings of research by Healthwatch into the impact of the cost of living crisis on people's decisions about accessing health and care. The research, which surveyed 2000 adults in England, was conducted four times between October 2022 and March 2023. It suggests that people are increasingly avoiding vital health and care services due to the fear of extra costs. Examples include avoiding:   going to a dentist because of the cost of checks ups or treatment  booking an NHS appointment because they couldn’t afford the associated costs, such as accessing the Internet or the cost of a phone call  buying over the counter medication they normally rely on  taking up one or more NHS prescriptions because of the cost. Healthwatch sets out a series of recommendations, including ensuring that the support available to help with healthcare costs is communicated to those that need it.
  18. News Article
    Staff shortages forced pharmacies to shut for 100,000 hours in a year, new figures show, just as the government has unveiled plans to shift more GP work their way. The data, shared exclusively with The Independent by the organisation which represents pharmacies in England, also showed that almost 1,000 establishments closed for good between October 2016 and November 2022. The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) figures revealed that pharmacies in the most deprived areas were more likely to shut permanently due to lack of staff, with areas such as Birmingham and Manchester among the worst affected. The figures come as the government announced plans on Tuesday to allow pharmacists to prescribe medicines for conditions including earache, sore throats and urinary tract infections without GP involvement. However, experts have said the plans are unlikely to significantly reduce pressure on GP practices as prescriptions for these conditions make up just 3 per cent of all appointments. And the King’s Fund health think tank warned of the potential for a postcode lottery – saying some pharmacies will not be able to offer the services because they may not have access to diagnostic tools, or sufficient staff and consultation rooms. Read full story Source: The Independent, 10 May 2023
  19. News Article
    England’s pharmacies are on the brink of collapse – struggling with a shortage of staff and medical supplies – combined with increased patient demand and soaring costs, according to an industry survey shared exclusively with this programme. Staff say that some patients are so frustrated by the supply problems, they’re getting aggressive. The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, the industry body which carried out the survey, says the Government and NHS need to step in now, before it’s too late. View video Source: Channel 4 News, 12 April 2023
  20. News Article
    The director of a leading pharmacy chain invited to advise the prime minister on healthcare reform has claimed the NHS makes people too “lazy” to take responsibility for their health. Day Lewis director Sam Patel also said the fact the NHS was “free” meant there was little “jeopardy” discouraging people from becoming ill, and encouraged people to accept a lower level of care. Mr Patel’s fellow Day Lewis director Jay Patel was one of the private healthcare leaders invited to Rishi Sunak’s Downing Street health summit this January. The company has more than 250 branches concentrated in London and the south of England. Speaking at an event organised by strategy advisory firm Global Counsel last week, Mr Patel said: “Having an NHS fundamentally makes too many people lazy about taking care of their own health. “Anything that’s free we just accept a lower level of care…. [We should be] making sure we’re taking good care of ourselves with vitamins, minerals, supplements, staying fit." ”... the jeopardy of feeling ill is not that bad because you get taken care of. In other countries, even in emerging markets like India where my parents originally come from, people spend vast amounts to make sure they don’t get ill because there is jeopardy in doing so. We need to change the population’s mindset to take care of themselves.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 3 April 2023
  21. Content Article
    A key priority for all involved in the development, manufacture and prescription of medicines is safety. To keep patients safe, regulators and pharmaceutical manufacturers have a statutory obligation to provide product information covering the most important instructions on how to take medicines correctly. This report by Kent Surrey Sussex Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) outlines the findings of a project around the accessibility of medication information. Patients, carers, healthcare professionals (HCPs) and senior healthcare system stakeholders were asked what they think about current medicines product information, and if it could be improved using digital solutions.
  22. Content Article
    This article* is an update from Dr Henrietta Hughes, Patient Safety Commissioner for England.
  23. Content Article
    Falsified, fake or counterfeit medicines are medicines disguising themselves as authentic, and they can pose significant health risks. 96% of websites selling medicines operate illegally–but research suggests that over 50% of people are not aware of this. This blog highlights the issue of counterfeit Parkinson's medications being sold illegally online. Mike Isles, Executive Director of the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacy in the EU describes their high prevalence and gives tips for people with Parkinson's on how to stay safe when buying medicines online.
  24. Content Article
    In this YouTube video, Jerika T. Lam, Associate Professor at Chapman University, School of Pharmacy, offers insights on patient safety from a pharmacist’s perspective. As someone who works in a clinic that serves marginalised and underserved communities, she describes the important role pharmacists can play on a healthcare team alongside doctors and nurses to ensure patients get the appropriate medications with minimal drug interactions.
  25. Event
    until
    This Westminster Health Forum conference will focus on next steps for pharmacy services in healthcare delivery, and opportunities to develop the role of community pharmacy as part of the health service in England. It comes amidst proposals to increase prescribing powers for pharmacists and reform training to enable pharmacists to work as independent prescribers immediately following graduation, as well as the Health Secretary announcing additional pharmacy services within the Primary Care Recovery Plan, and also indicating that implementation of a Pharmacy First system in England is being considered. The conference takes place against the backdrop of an evolving healthcare landscape, including developments in integrated care systems and digital transformation, an expected update to the NHS Long Term Plan, and wider strategic initiatives to implement alternatives to medicine, such as the Overprescribing Review. We expect discussion on opportunities to develop pharmacy services as a key component of future NHS and community care delivery. It will include keynote sessions with Gisela Abbam, Chair, General Pharmaceutical Council; Andrew Lane, Chair, National Pharmacy Association; Matthew Armstrong, Senior Manager, Pharmacy Contracts and Project Developments, Walgreens Boots Alliance; and a senior speaker confirmed from the Professional Record Standards Body. Overall, areas for discussion include: strategic ambitions: the opportunity for a Pharmacy First scheme in England - long-term aims for pharmacy services in the context of an updated NHS Long Term Plan. community pharmacy: future role in improvements to key service areas such as general practice, primary care and the ambulance service - delivering medicine optimisation in community care. the workforce: priorities for upskilling - improving training to increase the number of independent prescribers and develop the services that pharmacists can offer. digital pharmacy: key areas for expansion - supporting efficiency in prescription management - potential for digital services to allow patients more control over their care. further development areas: social prescribing services and non-medical treatments - the NHS STOMP programme - structured medicine reviews to support reduction of overprescribing. Register
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