Pharmacy type
Community
Pharmacy context
A pharmacy within a large residential area with a significant proportion of elderly customers. Approximately 10,000 prescriptions per month. Other services include: Minor Ailments Service; Methadone; Chronic Medication Service (CMS) and smoking cessation services.
Relevant standards
- 2.5 - Staff are empowered to provide feedback and raise concerns about meeting these standards and other aspects of pharmacy services
Why this is notable practice
The pharmacy listens to its staff when they raise concerns about pharmacy services and support the initiative of staff members who make suggestions to improve the quality of care to patients.
How the pharmacy did this
There was a regular review of staffing levels and skill mix to identify workforce gaps. The staff had provided feedback that staffing levels and the skill mix were inadequate to effectively manage the pharmacy services that were being delivered. This had been listened to and acted on and the following changes had been made:
- Four new members of staff had been recruited.
- A full-time pharmacy technician had replaced a part time dispenser.
- Two trainee dispensers replaced one full-time dispenser and both had been authorised to work overtime on a regular basis.
- A full-time ACT had replaced an ACT who had resigned.
All staff had been trained and accredited to work on the medicines counter and also to provide pharmacy services. A ‘model day’ provided details of staff and the tasks that they were expected to complete, so that there was sufficient cover during the working day.
The new pharmacy technician had made a suggestion and this had been taken on board and implemented. Changes had been made when she recognised that there was a high ‘failed delivery’ rate and she had suggested that patients were phoned just before the delivery was made to ensure that the patient was home. Patients were offered a morning or afternoon delivery time, and this had ensured that deliveries were made first time.
What difference this made to patients
The impact of the staff changes had been reviewed and it was found that they had been effective. Performance indicators used demonstrated the effectiveness of the changes; the repeat prescription service had been failing to achieve the 48 hour turnaround time standard and performance had now improved.
As a result of the new process implemented for delivery of medicines, more patients received their medicines on time; the pharmacy was also able to confirm what medicines were expected and were able to take action if there were differences.
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: