NEWS
ALLIANCe HeALTHCARe LAUNCHes ONLINe PORTAL
Alliance Healthcare has developed a new online service that provides its customers with a simplified approach to access its systems and order products online. As part of its commitment to listening to the customers, Alliance Healthcare has invested in its digital technology with a new online portal, offering a single sign-on process and a platform to order and self- serve. The system – the Alliance Healthcare Portal, provides customers with easy access to ordering products, reporting a missing product and creating a returns note.
PHARMACY FeARs FOR PATIeNTs’ sAFeTY
Pharmacists across the United Kingdom (UK) have voiced their fears over patient safety following the news that Amazon is trademarking the name Amazon Pharmacy in several countries, including the UK. The possibility that the online retail giant is planning to supply medicines has alarmed some of the UK’s main pharmacy organisations.
‘It can be no surprise that Amazon are looking at developing their offering in this way,’ said UCA-NI Ltd Chairman, Peter Rice. ‘However, community pharmacy is about much more than online shopping. NI pharmacies provide patients with safe and secure dispensing and valued expertise through a wide range of services on a direct basis. This continues to be the best route to ensuring patient safety.’
4 - PHARMACY IN FOCUs New funding for security welcomed
Community pharmacies in Belfast and the Northern area are welcoming the news that new funding is to be provided to enable pharmacy contractors to purchase security equipment.
In January 2019, the Health and social Care Board (HsCB) provided funding of £1,500 to those community pharmacies which participated in the HsCB safer Community Pharmacies for staff and Patients Grant Funding Allocation (GFA).
Funding up to a maximum of £4000 will be available for each community
pharmacy and will enable the pharmacy to address areas identified through the self-assessment audit.
The funding can be used to purchase equipment in respect of the following categories:
• external environment • Building security • Alarms and alarm communication • CCTV • Controlled drugs • Robbery Prevention • Fraud
Pharmacies must ensure that all items of equipment/changes are in place prior to 31 March 2020.
Retrospective claims for equipment, ie, equipment purchased since 1 April 19, can also be reimbursed under this scheme.
For hints and tips on security see page 61.
For help, advice and signposting on security upgrades, please call UCA on 028 9065 6576.
Take Home Naloxone reverses more than 200 overdoses
New figures from the Public Health Agency (PHA) have shown that the Take Home Naloxone programme saw naloxone administered 240 times in 2018-19 and that the programme has been successful in reversing an opiate overdose in over 90 per cent of cases.
Naloxone, supplied in a small syringe, is injected intramuscularly and can be administered by anyone in an emergency overdose situation. Over the past five years, Take Home Naloxone has been successful in reversing 435 opiate overdoses.
‘As the figures show, this service provides an important life-saving intervention,’ said Michael Owen, the PHA’s Lead for Drugs and Alcohol.
‘each overdose reversal is an occasion when a person could have died, but didn’t.
‘While only a very small portion of the population here uses heroin or other opiate type drugs, those who do are at a high risk of illness or death.
‘It is therefore important that we look at ways that we can reduce the danger that these people face. The main risks for people who use
opiates are accidental overdose, and the transmission of blood-borne viruses through sharing of injecting equipment.
‘We need to ensure we do all we can to reduce these dangers, by ensuring access to needle exchange services with trained staff, and providing access to the life-saving drug naloxone.
‘Addressing these risks also provides opportunities for health service engagement with this hard-to-reach group, which can be used to support them into treatment.’
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