NEW


ELECTRONIC PRESCRIBING SYSTEM FOR FIFE’S


HOSPITALS


The NHS Fife Board has approved the full business case for a new electronic prescribing and medicines administration system, which will improve patient safety by transforming the way medicines are prescribed and administered in Fife’s hospitals.


The Hospital Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration System (HEPMA) is designed to replace existing paper-based systems and make prescribing and administration processes more efficient, freeing up clinical staff to carry out face-to-face care.


Pending formal approval from Scottish Government, the implementation of HEPMA within NHS Fife will take around 36 months to complete across all hospitals.


‘The approval of the business case,’ said NHS Fife Medical Director, Dr Chris McKenna, ‘is an important milestone in the development of an electronic prescribing system in our hospitals.


‘The HEPMA system will enable greater control over what medicines are prescribed, how they are prescribed and how they are administered. The system will also enable the early identification of high- risk patients, allowing clinical staff to act much earlier in order to prevent patient from deteriorating.


‘Crucially, as more and more patients are treated with complex therapies, the system will reduce the opportunity for human error and ultimately improve patient safety as a result. ‘


4 - SCOTTISH PHARMACIST


£500 ‘THANK YOU’ FOR PHARMACY TEAMS


First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced a one-off payment for healthcare workers – including pharmacy services staff – who remained on the frontline throughout the COVID-19.


A pro-rated payment of £500 will be made as soon as is practicable to all NHS and social care workers employed since 17 March 2020 – including staff who have had to shield, or who have since retired.


‘Back in the spring, at the height of the first wave of COVID,’ the First Minister said, ‘many of us publicly – and often loudly – showed our appreciation for the work our NHS and social care staff were doing.


‘The applause was important, but it was never enough. Our appreciation must be shown in a more tangible way. So I can announce that, on behalf of us all, the Scottish


Government will give every full-time NHS and social care worker £500 as a one-off thank you payment for their extraordinary service in this toughest of years. Those who work part time will get a proportionate share.


‘The money will be paid in this financial year and it will be separate from any negotiations about pay for the longer term. There are no strings attached.


‘Of course, a payment like this can never come close to expressing our full admiration for those who have cared for us so heroically. But to our health and care workers, it is a demonstration of what we collectively owe you – and a heartfelt thank you for the sacrifices you have made.’


The news of the £500 bonus was welcomed by Community Pharmacy Scotland.


‘Community Pharmacy Scotland is delighted with the news that pharmacy team members will be financially recognised by Scottish Government due to their contribution through this pandemic,’ the body said in a statement. ‘It has been said many times that community pharmacy team members have been going above and beyond through this period and have played an integral part of the NHS response to COVID-19. This recognises this in real terms. The details of this unique payment to individuals from Scottish Government will have to be worked through as pharmacies are independently contracted to deliver NHS services and the NHS is not the direct employer of individuals who work in community pharmacy teams. CPS will work to deliver as practical a solution as is possible in a timely manner and work will start on this, with our members and Scottish Government, in the coming days and weeks.’


NEW APP ASSISTS WITH WASTE AUDIT COMPLIANCE


A new app, which gives pharmacies the ability to conduct compulsory clinical waste pre-acceptance and duty of care audits without the need for third-party on-site visits, has been launched by leading independent healthcare waste management company, Anenta.


Designed to provide a COVID-19 compliant solution that ends the need for on-site reviews by external bodies, the app simplifies the process, saves time and dramatically cuts the cost of audits required by producers of healthcare waste in order to operate.


The app enables details of all internal waste containers to be recorded, including their location and content, and whether these are correctly labeled. Images are uploaded as a point of reference using mobile devices, enabling multiple site assessments to be undertaken; colleagues can be emailed with a link to the section of the waste management audit that they need to complete.


Once done, Anenta assesses the audit and provides a report with advisory notes and actions to be taken


covering: missing policies, segregation requirements, and areas where action needs to be taken to comply with regulations; be that in terms of duty of care or the clinical waste pre- acceptance audit process. This enables clients to quickly and easily address aspects of the audit that will enable them to continue operating.


‘Pharmacies have a duty of care to their staff within the Environmental Protection Act 1990,’ said Graham Flynn, Managing Director of Anenta. ‘Pharmacies also have an obligation to complete clinical waste pre-


acceptance audits, without which hazardous waste including healthcare items such as needles cannot legally be removed from site. It is for this reason that we have developed the Anenta audit app, allowing pharmacies and healthcare settings to fulfill their duties faster and more cost-effectively than has previously been possible, so that they can continue operating unencumbered.’


For more information, visit www.anentawaste.com, or call 03301222143.


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