Blog
Pharmacy services – COPD screening
Community Pharmacists are well able to identify people at risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease at an early stage. More than half of people screened by pharmacies were identified at high risk of COPD. Throughout 2012 and 2013 the pilot screening finding was...
What system should you use to measure the risks in your business? What system should you use for your risk assessments?
The new GDP guidelines on distributing medicines which are the regulations you must adhere to as a wholesale distributor use the word RISK 27 times. As a wholesale distributor you must access all risks within your business. The easiest way to complete this task is to...
What is Risk? Have you risk assessed your business?
For every business the element of risk is all around you. From the warehouse operative operating a fork lift truck to the receptionist ascending the stairs to her desk. Every day we as human beings identify, assess and control risk with every action taken. From making...
Identity Checks
Over the years there have been a number of warnings issued by the MHRA that inform organisations to be alert to callers impersonating their staff (the latest of these being the 1th February, 2015). Although these warnings are specific to the impersonation of MHRA...
Are you ready to be an Authorised Wholesale Distributor (WDA- holder)
All the wholesale distributors acting in the EU must maintain a quality setting out of responsibility, processes and risk management relating with their business following the last reviewed guidelines. The new Guidelines of 5 November 2013 on Good Distribution...
Are you ready for the new CQC Fundamental Standards?
The new care regulations – called the fundamental standards – will take effect from April, and so it is important that providers across the country know the sorts of things that they can do to make sure they are meeting them and also, how the CQC will use their new...
Don’t bury your head in the sand- check your supplier bona fides!!!
A man has been given a 4 month prison sentence at Southwark Crown Court, suspended for 2 years, for the sale and supply of unlicensed erectile dysfunction drug! If you sell illegal unlicensed medicines you are endangering public health and the MHRA will actively seek...
Would your business benefit from applying a lean process?
What is lean management? Lean management is a long term approach applied to a business systematically implementing small changes in the current processes to improve efficiency and quality and reduce the wastage. The result of which is to maximise customer value whilst...
When is more, less? – Standard Operating Procedures
During the course of our work we see many SOPs and often come across procedures that are difficult to read and do not clearly describe the procedure. A long SOP does not necessarily make it a good one! When writing an SOP it is worth thinking about what its purpose is...
Flu service success!
Almost 90% of Local Pharmaceutical Committees (LPCs) have reported having a local pharmacy flu vaccination scheme commissioned during the 2014/15 season. This shows that NHS teams are beginning to understand the value that community pharmacy flu vaccination services...
Now or never?
Having spent over twenty years writing plans for the future and pointing out what is under-utilised the pharmacy world has been very slow in influencing, in a significant manner, the commissioning and implementation of this alternative world. Many models are still...
Disaster continuity plan, what to expect in unforeseen circumstances?
With snow on our door step have you got a contingency plan? Do you ship your products via airplane? Is it going to be delayed? How remote is your warehouse or pharmacy? Can your team get to work in the event of extreme weather conditions? Are you able to maintain the...