Pharmacy practice and profession blog
Our pharmacy team is leading our PCN’s COVID-19 vaccination service — and it feels electric
Spirits are running high at Chesterfield and Dronfield Primary Care Network, which has given 4,500 COVID-19 vaccinations since Christmas, says lead pharmacist Isobel Bancroft.
How working at NHS Test and Trace landed me a role heading my university’s COVID-19 case management team
Pharmacist and lecturer Gurinder Singh’s pharmacy skills proved invaluable during his work as a clinical contact caseworker at NHS Test and Trace — then he was headhunted to lead the University of Reading’s COVID-19 case management team.
What I learned volunteering my pharmacy skills at a health clinic for refugees and asylum seekers
Pharmacist Laura Burley’s skills proved invaluable at a refugee camp in Samos, Greece, where she was involved in everything from counselling patients on scabies medication, to streamlining the camp clinic’s systems.
How our multidisciplinary approach helped us reduce our practice’s high-dose prescribing by almost half
Senior GP pharmacist Rory Donnelly explains how his practice helped reduce high-dose opioid prescribing by an average of 40%.
The Women to Watch 2020 independent advisory panel
Well respected leaders within the pharmacy profession volunteered their time and expertise to assess nominations for The Pharmaceutical Journal’s Women to Watch 2020 initiative.
How our pharmacy-led medicines information service supported clinicians on the COVID-19 frontline
Cristina Coelho, lead pharmacist in medicines information at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, on how her team of pharmacy professionals were indispensable in providing the latest and most accurate new COVID-19 information to clinicians on the ground.
I was incensed by society's misconception of pharmacy, so I wrote a book on it
Preregistration pharmacist and book lover Janelle Soong was shocked by the perception that pharmacists ‘just stick labels on boxes’, so she collected her favourite real-life tales to show what pharmacy is really about.
When I hit a wall in my pharmacy career, clinical research was a lifeline
When hospital pharmacist Adam Sutherland felt his career had reached a dead end, research offered him exciting new opportunities.
We designed a new way of tapering antidepressants, but why won't the health authorities recognise its value?
When Peter Groot, a researcher in mental health experience, suffered uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms from his antidepressants, he set about developing tapering strips — clever tools to help patients gradually reduce their dose. But, despite their effectiveness, they are yet to take the medical community by storm.
How our trust's pharmacists are leading, not just validating, pharmacogenomics testing
Senior cancer pharmacists like Catherine Chaytor at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are at the forefront of new technology using patients’ genomes to identify their risk of chemotherapy side effects.
Our patients with addiction often feel little more than ‘animals’ in the pharmacy — we must change
When preregistration pharmacist Ismael Ali made strong connections with patients with addiction in his pharmacy, he was shocked to learn how this patient group is often treated.
How a 'network community pharmacist' is a win-win for our PCN — and could benefit yours too
A London primary care network has created a new role for pharmacists who want to work in both primary care networks and community pharmacy. Mitesh Shah, a pharmacist at South Central Ealing Primary Care Network, explains how a ‘network community pharmacist’ could truly integrate the two settings for the first time.
I'm an academic pharmacist who retrained to give remote consultations during the pandemic
Pharmacy researcher Zoe Edwards could safely do her university work from home, but she knew there was another way she could help during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How fearful medication requests have wreaked havoc on my general practice during the COVID-19 pandemic
Medication-related coronavirus media reports and worried patients have put pressure on general practices and local pharmacies, but we must continue to do right by our patients with chronic conditions, or risk ‘playing catch-up’ later on, says clinical pharmacist Danny Bartlett.
They don’t teach you how to cope with wearing your PPE when you burst into tears on the COVID-19 ICU
The pandemic has brought with it a new and overwhelming way of working in intensive care, and it is taking a heavy emotional toll on hospital staff, says clinical pharmacist Sarah Seddon.
How I faced COVID-19 as a critical care pharmacist in one of the UK's worst hit regions
Specialist critical care pharmacist Greg Barton recounts how his unit adapted to new practices and unknowns as cases of coronavirus surged in north west England.
How I prepared healthcare professionals for battle at London’s COVID-19 Nightingale hospital
London’s pop-up COVID-19 hospital constantly adapted and set the standards for other emergency field hospitals, says pharmacy educator Yinka Kuye.
COVID-19: I was punched by an angry patient in my frontline pharmacy on Good Friday
Pharmacist manager Krunal Vyas was left shocked, shaken and questioning his place in the profession after he was abused by an angry patient during the Easter weekend.
COVID-19 has put my MPharm on hold, so I'm doing my bit for pharmacy on the frontline
All young, fit and healthy pharmacy students should do anything they can to help their NHS during the coronavirus pandemic, says pharmacy student Jay Patel.
COVID-19: I had to close and disinfect my consultation room after an at-risk patient presented at my pharmacy
Pharmacy owner Lindsey Fairbrother describes how her team coped when a patient who had recently returned from at-risk northern Italy visited her pharmacy.
Underfunding has hit my community pharmacy hard, but we’re determined to provide new high-value services
Community pharmacist Eoghan O’Brien explains the impact of underfunding on the sector in Northern Ireland, and what he’s doing to continue providing a valued service to patients.
An outsider's perspective: it is time for pharmacy to shed its old skin
As a doctor turned pharmacy lecturer, I’ve learned how much pharmacy contributes to healthcare, but the profession must evolve, says former doctor Laura Sims.
Why storytelling is essential to my work as a mental health pharmacist
Stories bring us closer together, help us build trust and deliver wisdom, hope and healing — never underestimate their power, says mental health pharmacist Nana Tomova.
How my part-time medicines safety PhD changed prescribing practice for older people
Pharmacist Su Wood’s work on estimating reduced kidney function led to a major change in national recommendations for prescribing in older people.
Pharmacists are anything but 'pretend doctors'
Pharmacists do much more than just dispense medicines, says hospital pharmacist Fatema Mamdani.
Working as a pharmacist on the groundbreaking new CAR-T therapy
Clinical pharmacist Jackie Chappell shares her experiences of working with CAR-T therapy, a new cell-engineering treatment for cancer.
How I convinced GPs to let pharmacists lead a successful triage service
Amira Shaikh, a GP pharmacist in London, explains how a strong awareness of her clinical abilities and limitations helped her launch a successful pharmacist-led patient triaging service.
Why having a mentor is so important to pharmacists working in general practice
New general practice pharmacists can feel isolated, but mentorship can boost their resilience and the care they give patients, says clinical pharmacist Niketa Dass.
How our pharmacy became the first in North Wales to write prescriptions for minor illnesses
Superintendent pharmacist Steffan John shares his experience of treading new ground in the launch of North Wales’ first acute minor illness service, led by independent prescribing pharmacists.
How we introduced population health management to our hospital trust
University College London Hospitals Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is using its patients’ data to identify groups with similar characteristics and design new models of proactive care specifically for them.
How a portfolio career like mine could give the pharmacy workforce a boost
Working across different settings not only gives job satisfaction, but also benefits patient care, says portfolio pharmacist Ailsa Sharrock.
I'm proud of pharmacists taking the lead on World Patient Safety Day
Barry Jubraj from the Specialist Pharmacy Service was taken aback by the range of projects pharmacy teams across the country are working on to improve patient safety.
Improving medicines safety as a volunteer pharmacist in Cambodia
In 2018, pharmacist Alda Hummelinck volunteered in Cambodia to help identify opportunities to improve medicines and patient safety.
Reflective account example: a community pharmacist reflects on his communication skills
Do you feel confident in completing your reflective account? This example helps you understand what you need to include in your GPhC submission
Peer discussion example: a locum's view on medicine safety and near misses
Have you completed your peer discussion? This example peer discussion will help you know what you need to record when completing your revalidation entry.
Unplanned learning example: improving understanding of patient experience in acne
An example CPD entry from the perspective of a community pharmacist who has recently completed unplanned CPD on acne.
Planned learning example: learning about endometriosis
An example CPD entry from the perspective of a community pharmacist who has recently completed planned CPD on endometriosis.
Updating CPD modules to help improve learning
From September 2019, our CPD modules will be changing from ‘true or false’ questions to ‘single best answer’ questions.
How UK pharmacy schools can learn from New Zealand to grow culturally competent pharmacists
Work to improve the inclusivity of healthcare for Māori people shows the importance of cultural competence in addressing differences in health outcomes, say pharmacists from New Zealand.
What a primary care network pharmacist really does
Former community pharmacist Danny Bartlett has worked in his new local primary care network for a matter of months, but he is already making an impact on his patients.
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