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INDEPENDENT PRESCRIBING • RAMADAN AND MEDICINES MANAGEMENT • MAS QUESTIONNAIRE IN KIRKCALDY

Fife Pharmacy NewsDECEMBER 2008DECEMBER 2008

Christmas Medicinesand PharmacyOpening Hours

4 If you require this newsletter in alternative formats, please telephone 01383 565375.

First of all I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and HappyNew Year. This year has seen many changes within communitypharmacy; most notably the development of the PharmacyContract to extend the Public Health Service nationally to includea Sexual Health Service (Emergency Hormonal Contraceptionand Chlamydia testing and treatment) and a Smoking CessationService from August 2008. This should ensure that these servicesare more widely available to the population of Fife, and in turnresult in improved health and wellbeing. The roll out of the Acute

Medication Service is progressing well with 84% of GP practicesand 78% of community pharmacies enabled..

The forecast for the year ahead looks just as busy with theanticipated launch of the Chronic Medication Service stillexpected to be April 2009.

If anyone has any news, developments or training they would likeincluded in future editions of the newsletter, please phoneFiona Forsyth on 01383 565375.

Note from the editorFarewell to SandraBarclay, AdministrativeAssistant in PharmacyServices. Sandra retires on19 December afterworking in NHS Fife for 5years. Sandra is startingher retirement with awell earned holiday toSpain.

We wish you all the bestSandra, and a long and happy retirement.

Farewell to Scott Hill, Public Health Pharmacist wholeaves NHS Fife to take up a new post as PrincipalPharmacist – Emergency Planning as part of theNational Procurement division of National ServicesScotland (NSS)..He will be working closely with thepharmacologistics function of National Procurementand act as a pharmacy advisor to the ScottishGovernment Emergency Planning Team. The rolewill involve development of national awareness andtraining strategies for the use of antidotes andantibacterials in the event of incidents involvingchemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN)materials and assisting in planning related topandemic influenza and other major disastersituations.

Farewell to Jacqui Sneddon, Clinical EffectivenessPharmacist, who is leaving NHS Fife to work inGlasgow at the Scottish Medicines Consortium asProfessional Project Lead for the ScottishAntimicrobial Prescribing Group. Jacqui will beinvolved in projects to improve the use of antibioticsand tackle antimicrobial resistance in hospitals andprimary care.

Welcome to Fiona Forsyth who is replacing NatalieBate, Communications Officer (Pharmacy) while onmaternity leave.

Congratulations to Natalie and Jonathan Bate on thearrival of baby Lois on Friday 14th November. Mumand baby are both well, dad is very proud!

Farewells andCongratulations…

If you would like to submit an article or make any suggestions to Fife Pharmacy News, please contact :

Fiona Forsyth, Communications OfficerNHS Fife, Pharmacy ServicesPentland House, Lynebank HospitalHalbeath Road, Dunfermline, Fife, KY11 4UWTel: 01383 565375

Scottish Pharmacy Education & Training – Introducing two newposts for Borders, Fife and Lothian

A new national pharmacy education and training group hasbeen set up under NHS Education Scotland (NES) Pharmacy.The Group, chaired by Evelyn McPhail, Chief Pharmacist, coversthe East Region, namely Fife, Lothian and Borders. Thisdevelopment is in response to the changes that have occurred inthe NHS over recent years such as: the new CommunityPharmacy Contract and Agenda for Change Knowledge and Skillframework; expansion of the NES remit to include continuingprofessional development for pre- registration pharmacists andsupport staff; and the introduction of Single system working inthe NHS. As part of this, two new seconded posts based withNHS Lothian Pharmacy Education Research and DevelopmentTeam will support the pre-registration pharmacist scheme andnon- medical prescribing for pharmacists in Borders, Fife andLothian.

Pre-registration Pharmacist Scheme (PRPS)

Eileen Peebles has taken up the post of principal pharmacist 2days a week on a one year secondment. With responsibility forlocal delivery of training and support for the pre-registrationtrainees and their tutors. Eileen has experience in hospital,community and primary care pharmacy and is the local NESPostgraduate Tutor for Forth Valley. She plans to find out what

support would be helpful to both tutors and trainees and willthen organise training over the forthcoming year.

Please contact Eileen for further information onEileen.peebles@luht.scot.nhs.uk or Tel: 0131 537 1450.

Regional Lead (East) for PharmacistNon-Medical Prescribing

Fiona Reid, a practising pharmacist independent prescriber, hasbeen seconded 2 days per week to support training,development and implementation of Pharmacist Non-MedicalPrescribing (NMP) in both primary and secondary care for thenext 2 years. The post is a NES funded regional post coveringBorders, Fife and Lothian and is part of a national initiative. Inaddition to meeting national objectives, Fiona will be workingwith pharmacists and the wider NMP teams locally to identifyand address local issues and feed these into the regional andnational perspective.

Please contact Fiona if you would like any further information oradvice on Pharmacist Non-Medical Prescribing onfiona.reid@lothian.scot.nhs.uk or 0131 537 1450. Please notethe main local contact for any local Non-Medical PrescribingIssues is still Colette Henderson, Non-medical PrescribingAdvisor on Colette.henderson@nhs.net.

Scottish Pharmacy Education & Training – Introducingtwo new posts for Borders, Fife and Lothian

National ‘Be Ready for Winter’ campaign and local‘Choose Well’ information will be sent to everyhousehold in Fife as part of the FifeLife publications.

Pharmacy has been involved in the development ofthe ‘Choose Well’ information within Fife. Thepublic are being asked to ensure their medicinecabinets are fully stocked for Christmas, as manypharmacies will be closed over Christmas and NewYear.

NHS 24 has good “winter information” andhighlights community pharmacies and theimportance of ordering repeat medicines in plentyof time, access to the MAS and making sureeveryone has cold and ‘flu remedies like Paracetamoland ibuprofen at home.

www.nhs24.com

PCES bases have also been issued with a laminatedcopy of pharmacy opening hours over the festivepublic holidays.

Sandra Barclay

Just AskThe Winter Just Ask campaign took place on 13 October 2008with 50 pharmacies participating. The campaign focused onWinter Health, coughs, colds, indigestion and medicinecabinet essentials, as well as reminding people to ensure theyorder repeat prescriptions in plenty of time before pharmaciesare closed over Christmas and New Year.Feedback from the campaign has been very positive, with theuse of the Christmas tree logo on all promotional and displayitems being well received by the public.Christmas opening hours and general advice for the public onwhat to do when pharmacies are closed over Christmas andNew Year will be published in local Fife newspapers in the runup to Christmas.I’d like to thank everyone for participating in this year’scampaign, and below are some photos from the campaign.

The purpose of Ask About Medicines Week (AAMW) is toencourage better communication between people andhealth professionals, so that asking questions aboutmedicines becomes standard practice.

The awareness week aims to:

• Increase people's understanding about medicines,including their potential benefits and risks

• Help patients to be involved in decisions abouttheir treatment, to the extent that they want to beinvolved

• Create more opportunities for patients and carersto ask questions and raise concerns aboutmedicines

• Encourage health professionals to help patientsand carers to ask questions about medicines

• Improve access to further sources of helpful,reliable medicines and information.

Ask About Medicines Week 2008

Ask About Medicines Week 2008 ran from 3rd-7thNovember. Its focus was people with mental healthproblems; supporting them to ask questions about theirmedicines – both medicines for mental health problems andmedicines for other conditions.

The campaign theme was Asking About Medicines If YouHave A Mental Health Problem and targeted the public,carers and health professionals.

This was the sixth Ask About Medicines Week, and in eachsuccessive year since its launch in 2003 the enthusiasm andcommitment of partners from all sectors has demonstratedhow important it is to patients, carers and the public to beable to ask for and get the information they want so thatthey can make informed decisions about whether to takemedicines, and if so which ones.

More information on Ask about Medicines Week can befound at www.askaboutmedicines.org.

Ask About Medicines Week

Acute Medication Service/New Public HealthServices Events

These dates are open to all community pharmacists and pharmacysupport staff, and commence with a light buffet tea:

9th December – 6.30pm Rufflets Hotel, St Andrews

15th January – 6.30pm Gilvenbank Hotel, Glenrothes

Sexual Health Service training

11th March - 6.30pm Rufflets Hotel, St Andrews

19th March – 6.30pm Dunfermline – The Vine Church

24th March – 6.30pm VHK Education Centre

Peer Review for Anticoagulant Pharmacists

13th January – 6.30pm Queen Margaret Hospital

Peer Review for Prescribing Pharmacists

25th February - 6.30pm Education Centre, Victoria Hospital

Support Staff Participating in Counterweight

20 November - 1.00pm - 5.00pm Queen Margaret Hospital

27 November - 9.00am - 1.00pm Carnegie Clinic

2 December - 9.00am – 1.00pm Lynebank Hospital

11 December - 1.00pm - 5.00pm Cameron Hospital

Smoking Cessation Service Training - open to all staff

3 December - 6.00pm – 9.00pm Elmwood College, Cupar

22 January - 6.00pm – 9.00pm Elmwood College, Cupar

A light buffet tea will be available from 6pm with a 6.30pm start.

Part 1

Brief Advice

• Increase knowledge and understanding of smoking issues;

• Learning about the health effects and other consequences oftobacco smoking;

• Explore factors that affect behaviour change;

• Practical experience of CO monitor, maintenance and calibration

Part 2

Smoking Cessation Support Service

• Introduction to HEAT targets and why recording is important;

• Practical aspects in the delivery of a quality service;

• Supporting a client through a quit attempt, including referral toother NHS Fife services.

• Gain an understanding of the range of nicotine replacementtherapy (NRT), provision of dual therapy and supporting clientsaged under 16 years.

Community pharmacies currently providing a Smoking CessationService need not attend Part 1 training but are invited to attendPart 2 training.

Community Pharmacies new to delivering a Smoking CessationService are invited to attend both Part 1 and Part 2 training.

Please contact Sheila Dall on 01383 565351 to register for any ofthese events

Training Dates for Your Diary

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Central Pharmacy Window

Dears Kelty inside Display

Dears Kelty

Fishers instore plus staff

Fife Pharmacy won thetreble at the ScottishChemist Review AwardsThere was great success for Pharmacy in Fife at the recentScottish Chemist Review Pharmacy Awards.

The team at Rowlands Pharmacy in Cupar won the‘Innovation in Service Development’ award for being ahealthcare “hub”, holding college sessions on sexual healthawareness and informing local groups of services such asblood pressure monitoring.

Lucia Castagnetti of the The Co-operative Pharmacy inCrossgates won the Managing Healthcare Services in theCommunity, for the additional services she runs at thepharmacy and local GP surgery for people suffering withasthma and other respiratory problems. Lucia said, “It’s niceto be recognised for what I’ve done, and that peopleappreciate how something quite simple can help people andmake a difference in the local community.

The Scottish Pharmacist of the Year Award was also won by aFife Pharmacist.

Raymond Kelly, Pharmacist at Auchtermuchty who is alsoPharmacy Champion for North East Fife.

Raymond was nominated for the variety of work he isinvolved in including supplementary prescribing at the localGP surgery where he runs a hypertension clinic one morningper week. He also acts as one of three CPD facilitators forRowland’s Pharmacy in Scotland.

Raymond said: “I’m totally stunned that I have won, it's anhonour and I'm absolutely delighted. I'd like to thankeveryone who voted for me. I couldn’t be involved in all mysupplementary roles if I didn’t have the full support of mystaff at Rowlands Pharmacy in Auchtermuchty. I would like totake this opportunity to thank them. It's also good to see thatgood things are happening in Fife, as this is the second yearin a row that this award has gone to a Fife Pharmacist. We'reobviously doing something right!

“I think the Pharmacy contract will provide furtheropportunities for pharmacists to develop their role as healthcare professionals.”

The award ceremony took place on Thursday 13th Novemberin the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow.

Colin Darroch Managing Director of Apotex and

Raymond Kelly of RowlandsRobertsons Lochgelly Staff