Fife Pharmacy News - Community Pharmacy

NEWSLETTER AUDIT • SUMMER JUST ASK CAMPAIGN • PPC PARTIAL PRICE REFUNDS INFORMATIONISSUE 25Fife Pharmacy NewsAUGUST 2008Newsletter AuditJune 2008Many thanks to everyone for completing the questionnaires on FifePharmacy News. I received over 50 responses, giving a 6% response rate.Overall, readers seem very happy with the length, content, mix of articles,relevance, design and layout of the newsletter, with approximately 70% ofresponses saying they are very or fairly satisfied with the current newsletter.Readership of the newsletter is 49% of pharmacy staff, both hospital andcommunity, with 25% from NHS Fife and 11% from another NHS board.Feedback from the audit showed you would like a contents page for eachissue and to include better detail in the headlines, so you are more aware ofwhat each article is about. I’m happy to take this feedback and use it infuture editions of Fife Pharmacy News.Results showed that many readers are unaware of how to submit an articleto Fife Pharmacy News, and what types of articles are suitable forsubmission. If any readers have any ideas, projects, news or updates on anypart of their job, such as training, fundraising or personal achievements,simply contact me on 01383 565375 or natalie.bate@nhs.net and I’mhappy to draft the article for you. Fife Pharmacy News is your newsletter, soit’s important that you let me know what kind of articles you want to readabout.Elmwood College Health WeekMonday 16 June marked the start of Elmwood College Health Week,including information and events on health, fitness, wellbeing andhealthy eating. Fife Pharmacies offered blood pressure monitoring, aswell as information and advice on pharmacy services. Staff at RowlandsPharmacy, Cupar were on hand to test staff and students’ bloodpressure, and managed to test over 20 people over the course of theday. Allan Shields, Pharmacist said:“The day was really worthwhile –everyone was very interested in all ofthe services we offered at thepharmacy, focusing especially onthe sexual health services of EHCand Chlamydia testing, so it’s greatto know that our pharmacy canoffer these services. We definitelyhope to be involved in this eventagain in the future.”MASquestionnaire -GlenrothesOn 19 July 2008, opinion metersand questionnaires were used atthe Kingdom Shopping Centre,Glenrothes to gather the generalpublic’s opinions on the MinorAilment Service. The FifePharmacy pop up stand was usedat the event, with PharmacyServices staff there to provideleaflets on the service. Over 119responses were gathered at theevent, and results showed therewas still confusion from the publicon what MAS is, how to registerfor it and who MAS is for.However 94% of respondentswould recommend MAS tosomeone else and of those whohad used the service, 48% rated itas very good. Results will bepublished in the next edition ofFife Pharmacy News.It is hoped to have thesequestionnaires used in the MercatShopping Centre, Kirkcaldy andthe Kingsgate Shopping Centre,Dunfermline, in order to gatheropinions from a Fife-wideperspective.If you would like to submit an article ormake any suggestions to Fife PharmacyNews, please contact me at:Natalie Bate,Communications OfficerNHS Fife, Pharmacy ServicesPentland House, Lynebank HospitalHalbeath Road, DunfermlineFife, KY11 4UWTel: 01383 565375Email: natalie.bate@nhs.net

Just Ask Summer CampaignThis year’s week long campaign took place on 23 June, with 36 pharmacies participating. The focus of the campaign was summerhealth, covering hay fever, sunburn, and bites and stings. Feedback from the campaign has been positive, with local press coverage inthe Fife Free Press, The Courier, Dunfermline Press, Fife Life, Glenrothes Gazette and East Fife Mail. The campaign was also featured inthe June edition of Chemist and Druggist magazine.If anyone would like to see the press coverage from this campaign, please contact Natalie Bate on 01383 565375. Below are somepictures from the campaign.The next campaign on Winter Health is scheduled to take place on 13 October, with invitations being sent out to all communitypharmacies to participate soon.Central Pharmacy AnstrutherDears Kelty WindowAlderston PharmacyLundin Links WindowSt Clair Street Pharmacy, KirkcaldyDears Kelty Instore DisplayRowlands Pharmacy CuparRowlands Dalgety Bay StaffTW Buchanan LevenRowlands Dalgety Bay instore2

Prescription Pre-payment Certificate (PPC) PartialPrice Refunds - Amendments to Refund Process1. On 1 April 2008 the NHSprescription charge was reduced to£5.00 per item. The cost of PPCsalso reduced in price by up to51%.2. To ensure patients were notdisadvantaged by the pricereduction arrangements were put inplace to allow partial price refundsfor those patients who hadpurchased a PPC at the higher rateprior to April 08. Partial refundswould be made for any completemonth valid beyond 1 April 08.3. All refunds made in respect of PPCrefunds are made by NSSPractitioner Services Division (PSD).4. Arrangements were put in place byNSS to contact the eligible patientswith a claim form. However toensure no patient was missed asmall supply of claim forms wereissued to communitypharmacies/dispensing GP surgeriesshould a patient request a refund.5. NSS have advised that they arereceiving duplicate applicationsfrom patients as NSS have issued arefund form and the patient hasalso collected one from thepharmacy. There have also beeninstances where the partial refundform has been issued to patientsapplying for a PPC refund onexemption grounds, patientsapplying for a prescription chargerefund, and also for refunds for thenew post April priced PPCs.6. To prevent errors/duplicateapplications we ask that communitypharmacists/dispensing GPs arrangefor any existing PPC partial pricerefund forms to be destroyed.7. NSS will continue to identify andcontact the eligible patients. If apatient queries the partial pricerefund arrangements they shouldbe directed to the PPC PartialRefund Hotline on 0845 300 1285for further advice.8. Existing PPC refund arrangementson exemption grounds remains inplace. Refund forms for thispurpose will remain available fromcommunity pharmacies/dispensingGP practices.Figure it out –Healthy Weight SeminarOn 23 June the Healthy Weight Seminar tookplace in the Vine Church, Dunfermline and waswell attended by over 35 district andcommunity nurses, health visitors and healthimprovement officers.Michelle Jackson, from Robertsons Chemists,Douglas Street Dunfermline was invited to givea presentation on their Community PharmacyWeight Management pilot, to show localexamples of how to improve the health of Fifers in the area.The Robertsons Weight Management Pilot was set up in January 2007, was thefirst pharmacy weight management pilot in Fife, and ran for one year.Michelle said: “The results after 12 months were impressive as we had 30 patientsat the start of the pilot, and 15 after a year, giving us a huge 50% attendance rateafter 12 months. Our patients lost 250lbs in total over the year, with 200lbs ofthese from the patients who completed the programme, showing this pilot was tochange habits and lifestyle, rather than short term weight loss. Over 94% of ourpatients reached the target of losing 5 to 10% of their excess body weight. I reallyenjoyed the pilot, and hope to roll it out in the future to other pharmacies in Fife,as this service could really help to make a difference to the population of Fife.”PharmacyFun DayOn 2 July 2008, 30 members of thePharmacy Services team went to ClunyClays, Kirkcaldy for a team buildingsession. Throughout the day the 3 teamscompeted with activities such as air rifleshooting, archery, an Olympic challenge,tractor pulling and even camel racing!The Pharmacy Services Team at Cluny ClaysSun Walk 2008Susan Menzies, Lead Pharmacy Technician Support Staff Development is taking part in the Sun-walk in Newcastle on 7September 2008. This is the first Sun walk event which aims to raise money for breast cancer charities. If you would like tosponsor Susan, please visit her web link at www.justgiving.com/thefenders.3

CLINICAL SKILLS FORCHRONIC DISEASES: OnlineShort Course forCommunity PharmacistsPlease find below some information about a new course that the School ofPharmacy & Life Sciences, RGU is offering from 1 September 2008.NES is providing full funding for pharmacists to do a new short online course(50 hours over 6 months) to help expand patient services. This course isdesigned to help with the development and implementation of theforthcoming ‘Chronic Medication Service’, part of the new CommunityPharmacy contract in Scotland.‘Clinical Skills for Chronic Diseases’ will be delivered in a new innovativeonline learning community that provides; ongoing encouragement, academicand moral support. Key elements include:• A practical and relevant problem / workplace based learningapproach• Access to RGU library and support staff• Online interaction with other students• Discussion and access to support and expert advice forlearning from experienced clinical practitioner e-TutorsThe course is designed to be ‘bite sized’, flexible, manageable and supportiveand being online it fits around community pharmacists rather than the otherway round!The ‘Clinical Skills for Chronic Diseases’ course will be the first of many shortcourses targeted at service development for community pharmacy.For more information about this course and others in our portfolio visit:www.rgu.ac.uk/pharmacy/courses/Here it is possible to apply online quickly and easily.Any queries please don’t hesitate to contact Dr ITS Cunnigham, SeniorLecturer and Postgraduate Programmes Leader or the School CPD Coordinator,Frances Notman (f.notman@rgu.ac.uk).Training dates for your diaryAlcohol Awareness training events are takingplace on the following dates:9 September 2008 – 6pm to 9pm16 September 2008 – 6pm to 9pmPlease note the venues are still to beconfirmed, however details will be sent outcloser to the time. If anyone is interested inthese training events, please contact LizHutchings, Specialist Pharmacist inSubstance Misuse on 01383 565346.Difficult tomanage / complexpatients – smokingcessationIf any member of the pharmacy teamproviding a Smoking Cessation servicewithin their pharmacy comes acrossdifficult to manage or complex patients,Smoking Cessation Specialists are happyto be a point of contact for advice orreferral.They can be contacted on the followingnumbers:Dunfermline and West Fife CHP - 01383565340.Glenrothes and North East FifeCHP - 0800 032 6672Kirkcaldy and LevenmouthCHP 01592 715213Congratulations to…• Debbie Paton, Practice Pharmacist atDunfermline and West Fife CHP forcompleting a Masters in PainManagement from the College ofMedicine and Veterinary Medicine,University of Edinburgh. The Masterswas a two year distance learningcourse. Debbie was the first Pharmacistto undertake the course and graduatedon July 1st at McEwan Hall, Universityof Edinburgh.• Michelle Jackson, Pharmacy Technicianat Robertsons Chemist, Douglas Street,Dunfermline for recently completingher HNC in Pharmacy ServicesDevelopment and Management.• Susan Menzies, Lead TechnicianSupport Staff Development, forcompleting a PDA Advanced Diploma:Introduction to Teaching in FurtherEducation.Farewell to Alison Pickles, PracticePharmacist who left NHS Fife Pharmacyto start her own landscape gardeningbusiness, called Snowdrops. We wish youall the best.Farewell to John Johnstone, PharmacyAssistant at Queen Margaret HospitalPharmacy who retires from NHS Fife after28 years service. John has worked withinStratheden Pharmacy, Victoria HospitalPharmacy and CSSD, completing his last8 years at the Queen Margaret HospitalPharmacy Department.4 If you require this newsletter in alternative formats, please telephone 01383 565375.