NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service

Jo McMillan, Head of Medicines Optimisation, for North and Mid Hampshire within Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB, is discussing how her ICB took a system wide approach to developing resources which would raise awareness of the potential risks associated with clozapine. Although this example is specific to clozapine the learning can be applied to any complex medicine.

This ‘on the couch’ webinar, the second in a series of two, addressed questions around the challenges faced by pharmacists with HRT decision making. This is an audio recording of an 'on the couch' webinar delivered on 24 April 2024 (56mins 29secs) Speakers: Nuttan Tanna - Consultant Pharmacist, Women’s Health; Northwick Park Menopause Clinical & Research Unit Sally Arnison, MBE - Senior Clinical P...

Emma Kirk chats with Siobhan Gee, Consultant Pharmacist and Deputy Director of Pharmacy at South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust about the challenges and the opportunities of the mandated full pack dispensing of valproate.

A discussion highlighting the importance of considering those with learning and intellectual disabilities when implementing changes in practice related to valproate prescribing. Lance and Maria explore the potential impact on the system and suggest considerations to promote an equitable and safe journey for the valproate patient with learning and intellectual disabilities (23m 37s). Speakers: Prof...

Emma Kirk chats with Kylie Williams, Highly Specialist pharmacist Medicines Safety at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Emma Hall, Lead Technician Medicines Safety at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust about the impact of the regulations at acute district general hospitals. They discuss the challenges and some of the solutions they have implemented to ensure that they...

A practical and interactive discussion between specialist and generalist pharmacy professionals about progressing your career in primary care. This is an audio recording of an 'on the couch' webinar delivered on 13 February 2024 (55mins 45secs) Topics covered included: • An example journey towards a senior pharmacy role to reflect on • How to raise your profile as pharmacy professionals in GP prac...

A practical and interactive discussion between specialist and generalist pharmacy professionals about managing lipid treatments in primary care. This is an audio recording of an 'on the couch' webinar delivered on 12 December 2023 (54mins 52secs) Topics covered included: • Practical tips from a specialist and generalists on challenges in lipid management and how these can be met in primary care •...

Anna Bischler and Jay Patel discuss language barriers and the impact they have on medication safety inequalities. (19:21) Jay Patel: Regional Facilitator for Early Career Pharmacist Practice, Workforce Transformation & Education Directorate, NHS England Anna Bischler: Associate Director, Medicines Use and Safety, SPS This podcast is part of our Medication Safety Across The System series, this time...

Anna and Gavin discuss challenges within the ambulance service related to time critical medicines safety. The discussion explores actions that could support medication activists to assess local practice and risks to inform local initiatives. Anna Bischler – Associate Director, Medicines Use and Safety, Specialist Pharmacy Services Gavin Mooney - Advanced Paramedic Practitioner and Trust Medication...

A discussion exploring what time critical medicines safety means to medics and how they can support the system to ensure patients receive their time critical medicines on time. Examples of recent and future work by national bodies are shared. (17mins 44 secs) Our speakers are: Dr Jonny Acheson - Emergency Medicine Consultant University Hospitals of Leicester; Director of Engagement at The Parkinso...

A discussion between medication safety activists from primary care and secondary care exploring what time critical medicines means to them. Common barriers with time critical medicines are identified and a reflection on how all settings within in the system need to work together to ensure patients receive their time critical medicines on time. (13 mins 22 secs) Our speakers are: Suzanne Cooper, Pr...

This podcast explores research based evidence where patient engagement and patient held records were utilised to promote safety. Our speakers will be discussing how this approach supports system wide communications to empower patients and promote safe practices with time critical medicines. (20 mins 44 sec) Our speakers are: Anna Bischler - Associate Director, Medicines Use and Safety, Specialist...

Liz Fidler, Senior Professional Advisor Pharmacy Technician Practice, NHS England, and Ellen Williams, Director of Regional Pharmacy Training, Pharmacy Workforce Development South, share their reflections after listening to this podcast series. They discuss post-registration education pathways, managing expectations within and outside the profession, and how the stories they heard motivate and ins...

Barry Jubraj talks to Dawn Cassidy, a chief pharmacy technician in health and justice. Dawn describes the role of pharmacy technicians in secure environments and the skills they employ in this care sector.

Barry Jubraj talks to Charlotte Hoey, a pharmacy technician working in a virtual ward environment. Charlotte briefly talks about her career to date and explains what virtual wards are. She describers her role within the virtual ward pharmacy team and shares an example of a pharmacy technician home visit.

Barry Jubraj talks to Chris Warren, a pharmacy technician in a GP practice. Chris talks about the clinics that he runs, including undertaking hypertension and cholesterol reviews, and his wider role in the GP practice.

Barry Jubraj talks to Jennie Smith, a primary care network pharmacy technician. Jennie talks about undertaking consultations with patients about statins, and reviewing and actioning blood pressure readings.

Nicola Wake talks to Kiera Whitehead Elliott, a trainee pharmacy technician at Barts Health NHS Trust.  Kiera talks about her rotation in a GP practice, including the audit that she carried out during her placement.

Barry Jubraj talks with Emma Lowe, a medicines optimisation pharmacy technician for care homes. Emma talks about her role in supporting pharmacists and GPs with Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs), which includes measuring renal function and assessing anticholinergic burden.

Nicola Wake talks to Melissa Melly, a pharmacy technician in GP practice. Melly shares how she resolved a difficulty in arranging blood tests related to medicines monitoring by undertaking venepuncture training and delivering urgent or overdue blood test appointments in a weekly clinic.

Nicola Wake talks to Steph Edwards, a care home pharmacy technician. Steph talks about working in a newly established role and the contributions pharmacy technicians can make in the care home setting.

Barry Jubraj talks to Zoe Webb, a senior pharmacy technician in GP practice, about leadership. Zoe shares her career journey and describes her role looking after a pharmacy technician team alongside her clinical role.

Introducing our podcast series: Pharmacy Technician Coffee Break Conversations. Emma Fallows from NHS SPS introduces the podcast series and chats with Liz Fidler, Senior Professional Advisor Pharmacy Technician Practice, NHE England, and Ellen Williams, Director of Regional Pharmacy Training, Pharmacy Workforce Development South, about why they are looking forward to listening to the series.