RPS NEWS


ROYAL PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY SCOTLAND ROUND-UP SCOTTISH PHARMACISTS HAVE VITAL


ROLE IN MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT


rPS and rcgP urge collaboration on flu vaccinations


This winter, more than ever, with COVID-19 cases rising, ensuring a high uptake of flu vaccination is critical to keeping people well and reducing pressure on the health service.


RPS in Scotland has called for an exploration of new models of care which enable pharmacists to better support people with their mental health. At a national roundtable event held in its Edinburgh office, policymakers, politicians and practitioners met with leading community pharmacists to discuss how pharmacists could play a greater role in the provision of mental health services.


rPS and the royal college of general Practitioners (rcgP) are urging pharmacists and gPs to work together to maximise the number of people who will receive a flu jab and help achieve the government ambition of delivering the “biggest flu vaccination programme in history”.


Participants heard from pharmacists across Scotland about their current role and how it could be developed to further benefit patients.


Pharmacists play an important role in their community, providing patients with advice on their medication; spotting the early signs of mental health conditions; and in places form part of a network of interdisciplinary medical teams. However, patients could benefit even more if the role of pharmacists was better recognised and their contributions integrated within primary care.


We are working on an RPS in Scotland policy which calls for an exploration of new models of care which enable pharmacists working in all settings to better support patients with mental health conditions with their medicines, with early interventions, monitoring


22 - SCOTTISH PHARMACIST


a collaborative approach to flu vaccination is crucial across primary care, putting patients first and ensuring possible competition between health care providers does not impact negatively on gP or pharmacy practice or lead to unnecessary tensions between the professions.


We have agreed a number of principles and recommendations, including on collaboration, using the skill mix of healthcare professions to support vaccinations, and ensuring staff safety. These can be found online here: https://www.rpharms. com/recognition/all-our- campaigns/policy-a-z/flu- vaccination-service


‘With winter pressures and cOVID-19, this year it’s more important than ever that pharmacists and gPs work together so everyone who needs a flu vaccination can get one,’ said rPS President Sandra gidley:. ‘This


needs to be supported by adequate resources, the right information systems, and ensuring staff can work safely.’


and referrals to specialist services when necessary. Pharmacists could also provide more formal follow-up care to patients and work as part of multidisciplinary teams.


‘We believe that pharmacists are vital to the delivery of the Scottish Government’s Mental Health Strategy,’ said Jonathan Burton, Chair of the RPS Scottish Pharmacy Board, ‘and could play a leading role in multidisciplinary teams. Working in the community, pharmacists see people more often than any other health professional and provide holistic care. There are great examples across the country from universities and rural communities to areas of deprivation where pharmacists are providing much- needed support.


‘Seasonal flu can be a serious illness, which poses a real risk to people’s health,’ said rcgP Joint honorary Secretary, Dr Jonathan Leach. ‘as we continue to manage the cOVID-19 pandemic, it’s vital that we protect as many people as possible from the flu, particularly those in at risk groups, such as older people, pregnant women and patients with long-term conditions and learning difficulties, and reduce the pressures on the health system.


‘general practice and community pharmacy sit at the heart of communities. By working together across primary care, we can ensure that vulnerable individuals are able to access the protection which the flu vaccine affords.’


‘As experts in all aspects of medicines, pharmacists are often best placed to review a patient’s overall medication and will take a holistic approach to an individual’s conditions. We can improve the quality of their care by ensuring that they are getting the most benefit from the medicines they are taking and reducing the risk of harm.’


Our guide on setting up a flu service can be read here: https://www.rpharms.com/resourc es/pharmacy-guides/setting-up-a- flu-vaccination-service


Our Pharmacy alert on new professional guidance from aPTuK encouraging pharmacy technicians to ensure all legal frameworks, regulation and governance are in place before vaccine


The RPS in Scotland mental health policy will be finalised by the end of the year and will be available on our website: www.rpharms.com


administration can be read here: https://www.rpharms.com/publica tions/pharmacy-alerts/details/The- association-of-Pharmacy-Technicia ns-uK-aPTuK-issues-guidance-on- pharmacy-technicians-administerin g-vaccines


We’re calling for pharmacists to be at the forefront of supporting the mental health of those affected by COVID-19.


FUTURE OF PRIMARY CARE RPS in Scotland gave oral evidence to the Health and Sport Committee’s inquiry into the future of primary care in Scotland on Tuesday 1 October, alongside Community Pharmacy Scotland, the British Dental Association and Optometry Scotland.


Jonathan Burton, Chair of the Scottish Pharmacy Board, emphasised the need for transformational change in order to achieve real integration between primary care services. He also highlighted the need for full read and write access to the patient health record as well as raising awareness of the workforce pressures faced by pharmacists across Scotland.


RPS in Scotland also submitted written evidence to the inquiry. Key points from our submission include:


• There is potential for community pharmacies to be public health and healthy living hubs, focusing


Pharmacy’s role in mental health and wellbeing: cOVID-19 and beyond calls for the expertise and clinical knowledge of pharmacists to be better used to support people with mental health problems. It recommends pharmacists, in collaboration with health and social care colleagues, play a central role in:


• Identifying people struggling with their mental health and wellbeing • Increasing access to support for people experiencing poor mental health • Supporting patients with prescribed medicines • Supporting communication across health care settings for effective transfer of care


‘cOVID-19 has been an extremely tough period for our communities


rPS welcomes pause in withdrawal of Priadel


We’re pleased to announce that after months of renovation, weeks of packing and a busy few days of unpacking, the RPS in Scotland has now officially moved to its new home in Edinburgh’s New Town.


RPS has welcomed news that the withdrawal of Priadel, a brand of lithium taken by people with bipolar disorder, will be paused while the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigates.


This move is not about a building, or about RPS Scotland. It is about being able to provide a focal point for members and the wider profession. The new office is a home for all RPS staff and members and it is hoped that members will see it as


This follows our joint letter with patient groups and professional bodies calling on health Secretary Matt hancock to intervene to ensure Priadel remains available to treat patients in the uK and to avert a huge increase in price the nhS pays for the drug.


essential Pharma, who own the rights to Priadel, had announced it would be withdrawing the brand in april 2021. It also owns the other main brand of lithium, camcolit, which costs almost twelve times more than Priadel.


The new mentoring platform unites pharmacists from all sectors and career stages to share experiences and build professionally supportive relationships.


Newer pharmacist? Find a mentor who can offer impartial help


and guidance to accelerate your development, improve your career


The new address for the team in Scotland is: 44 Melville Street, EH3 7HF, Edinburgh.


The cMa highlights the concerns raised in the joint letter that switching bipolar medication can be a difficult process for patients and may cause health complications, as well as significantly raising costs.


You can still get in touch with us by email and phone on 0131 556 4386 and scotinfo@rpharms.com.


We are starting to plan some exciting events to celebrate the opening of the new office. Watch out for more details coming soon.


NEW MENTORING PLATFORM TO SUPPORT YOU prospects and build self-confidence.


In October we launched a new mentoring platform exclusively for members. The scheme connects newer and more experienced pharmacists to benefit each other and the profession.


‘The thousands of people who rely on Priadel will welcome the news that the government and cMa have listened to our concerns about the need to maintain patient access to this vital medicine,’ said Sandra gidley, President of the royal Pharmaceutical Society.


‘The government and manufacturer must now work together to ensure this temporary pause in the withdrawal leads to a long-term solution. We must prevent companies from exploiting the system in future to support patient care and the nhS.’


Pharmacy must be central to mental health care


RPS IN SCOTLAND GIVES EVIDENCE ON THE


and the consequences to mental health are profound,’ said Sandra gidley, President of the royal Pharmaceutical Society.


on obesity management, lifestyle changes, social prescribing and vaccinations to increase capacity and uptake


‘The experience of illness and grief caused by the outbreak, together with isolation, economic instability and sudden changes to everyday life, have severely affected the nation’s mental health. The pandemic has affected people with existing mental health conditions and created a whole new level of depression and distress in those previously unaffected.


• Community pharmacists, GP practice and secondary care colleagues need to work together more closely as well as with the wider multidisciplinary team


• Timely sharing of information between pharmacists in hospital, GP practice and community is essential and an important element of keeping people safe as they move with their medicines across health and social care systems


NEW HOME FOR RPS IN SCOTLAND


‘We want pharmacists fully equipped to respond and feel confident to do so. The only way to manage the potential tsunami of mental health needs is as part of a co-ordinated approach in collaboration with other agencies and healthcare colleagues. We truly are ‘all in this together’ and must work across the nhS to support each other and the health of those affected by the pandemic.’


The Committee is continuing its evidence gathering throughout November. You can read our written evidence in full on the Scottish Parliament’s website: www.parliament.scot


somewhere they can visit and spend time.


More experienced pharmacist? Use the platform as a way of sharing your knowledge and expertise to give back to the profession and give colleagues of the future a helping hand.


Any RPS member can join the platform as a mentor or mentee. The new mentoring platform then takes your details and begins to look for a match. When one is found, both mentor and mentee can review the suggestion.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48