NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF
INSPECTIONS HELPING PATIENT SAFETY
A study commissioned by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) suggests there is consensus among pharmacy professionals that inspections of pharmacies are helping to improve patient safety and the services pharmacies offer.
Over 3,700 people working in or responsible for community pharmacies responded to an online census conducted by ICF International on behalf of the GPhC. In-depth interviews were also conducted with stakeholders, community pharmacy professionals, inspectors and trade associations:
The standards for registered pharmacies are generally well-understood; the majority of community pharmacy professionals (86%) reported that they are aware of the standards. And 98% of pharmacy professionals who have experienced an inspection pointed to the importance of the GPhC inspector’s feedback during the inspection process in helping them to meet and improve on standards.
There was also widespread agreement that inspection reports help pharmacies to improve their services to patients and the public; 92% of those who had been inspected agreed that inspection reports are valuable to implement improvements in quality and performance, and 87% agreed that reports help them focus their efforts on the areas of most relevance to patient safety.
Developing action plans when one or more standards were not met was also felt to help pharmacy professionals to focus on the issues of most importance to patients: 95% of those who developed action plans found it helpful refl ect on the inspector’s fi ndings and 96% reported that it helped them defi ne their priorities for improvement.
The study also highlighted some feedback for the GPhC to consider as it continues to develop and refi ne its approach. Concerns were expressed by some respondents about the current ratings model, with some suggesting there was a lack of clarity and differentiation between ratings. And there was a suggestion that the time in which pharmacies have to make improvements identifi ed through action plans should be extended.
24 - SCOTTISH PHARMACIST Pharmacy leads homeless study
Community Pharmacists are helping to lead an investigation into the healthcare of homeless patients in Aberdeen. The project recently secured £10,000 funding to further their research.
A team of Robert Gordon University (RGU) researchers and NHS Grampian staff have been awarded the money from the NHS Grampian Public Health Fund to help enable the seamless care of patients from Marywell healthcare centre for the homeless as they transition to mainstream GP practices in Aberdeen.
The collaborative project involves researchers from RGU, Marywell Homeless Healthcare Centre Aberdeen and Aberdeen City Community Health and Social Care Partnership.
Principle Investigator Dr Vibhu Paudyal from RGU’s School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences leads the research team which comprises: Professor Derek Stewart, Dr Katie MacLure, Dr Katrina Forbes-McKay, Dr Carol Buchanan, Ms Liz Wilson, Ms Ann Smith and Ms Joan MacLeod.
The project will undertake a formal evaluation of patient pathways and experiences of relocation and integration activities associated with moving from a special purpose homeless medical practice to a mainstream medical practice, and identify barriers and facilitators.
Dr Paudyal said, “We are delighted to have received new research funding from the NHS Grampian Public Health Fund and believe that there is clear potential to reduce health and social inequalities in Aberdeen. “Patients who have moved on from their homeless status are still vulnerable to unstable living circumstances and ill health.
“The integration activity and its on- going evaluation will allow the health and social care professionals involved in their care to undertake collaborative effort in managing and preventing illnesses.
Project leader Dr Vibhu Paudyal
Where patients have been rehomed or moved to a permanent address, it is expected that they are relocated to a mainstream general medical practice and community pharmacy in their area.
Such relocation activity is expected to add to the convenience of the patients and also allows Marywell Healthcare Centre to focus on providing services to the patients who are still facing homelessness.
“They will also assist in maintaining healthy lifestyles through supported self-care to maintain a healthy diet, active lifestyle, and abstinence from hazardous drinking and substance misuse.”
The team’s research has also previously looked at how homeless patients in Aberdeen manage their medications and the barriers they face in retaining and maintaining adherence to their medicines.
Ground broken on £16m Imaging Centre
Minister for Universities and Science Jo Johnson MP helped to break ground to mark the construction of a new University of Glasgow-led clinical imaging centre last month.
The Minister was visiting the site at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where the new Imaging Centre of Excellence (ICE) will be based. The ICE, supported by £16m of UK Government funding through the Medical Research Council as part of the Glasgow & Clyde Valley City Deal, will provide clinical research facilities which will be unique in the UK and create more than 200 new jobs for local people. The centre is
expected to be completed by the end of 2016.
The ICE will house state-of-the-art technology to enable scientists to conduct new clinical research. The ground fl oor of the building will house a variety of imaging technologies including a £7M 7 Tesla MRI scanner.
The 7 Tesla is an ultra-high resolution scanner which will allow the development of advanced diagnostic imaging methodologies for use in stroke, cardiovascular disease and brain imaging.
Medical Research Council Chief Executive Professor Sir John Savill said, “New initiatives such as the Imaging Centre of Excellence in Glasgow are at the heart of the Medical Research Council’s role in fostering collaborations between scientists, industry and clinicians to rapidly translate high-quality research into benefi ts for society. The sum of this work is often greater than its parts – the ICE will create a catalyst for the sharing of resources, ideas and ways of working to transform the care and treatment for patients and boost economic growth across Scotland and the rest of the UK.”
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