Pharmacy type
Community
Pharmacy context
COVID-19
Relevant standards
- 4.2 - Pharmacy services are managed and delivered safely and effectively
Why this is notable practice
The superintendent pharmacist (SI) is working collaboratively with a large group of local pharmacists to keep up-to-date and help each other with a range of issues. The group also included LPC pharmacists and practice pharmacists. This allows them to support one another with suggestions and advice. Having access to pharmacists in different settings helps to create practical solutions to any problems they have.
How the pharmacy did this
Local pharmacists had set up an open WhatsApp group at the start of the pandemic. And in that time the group had increased from 10 to approximately 60 pharmacy professionals from the local area. Any updates, including Public Health England updates were posted keeping members of the group informed as the situation evolved.
Pharmacists in the group had been able to assist each other with sourcing alternative brands of medicines which were out of stock, such as salbutamol inhalers. They had also used the group to pass on information about wholesale delivery times. Pharmacies on the same delivery route would let each other know when they had received a delivery so other pharmacies could estimate their time of delivery further along the same route.
Practical help had been provided by a practice pharmacist in the group who had persuaded a doctor’s surgery to switch patients to electronic repeat dispensing during the last two weeks. This made prescription queues and dispensing much more manageable. The pharmacies in the group had also helped each other by sharing staff.
What difference this made to patients
By working collaboratively and communicating regularly with one another local pharmacists are improving the efficiency of their services so that people are able to get their medicines without unnecessary delay or disruption.
Highlighted standards
We have identified the standards most likely and least likely to be met in inspections, and highlighted examples of notable practice for each of these standards; to help everyone learn from others and to support continuous improvement: