BUILDINGA SAFERAND SMARTER PHARMACY PRACTICE
Community pharmacy in Scotland continues to evolve, offering increasingly clinical and patient-focused care.
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s workloads grow, pharmacy teams must balance efficiency, safety and communication to maintain high standards.
This feature explores four priorities shaping the profession: improving efficiency, strengthening independent prescribing, supporting patient safety and enhancing collaboration.
Pharmacy Efficiencies Pharmacies are busy environments that rely on well-organised systems and well-trained teams. Delegating appropriate tasks to Accuracy Checking Technicians (ACTs) and Accredited Checking Dispensers (ACDs) allows pharmacists to focus on clinical checks and patient consultations.
Small changes can significantly improve workflow. Deciding who answers the phone, manages shelving or bags prescriptions frees valuable time and helps prevent bottlenecks. Digital tools such as Trusted Directions and Assisted Dispensing also support safer and more efficient processes by converting prescriber instructions into clear patient directions and speeding up labelling.
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Independent Prescribers: Expanding Clinical Roles Pharmacist Independent Prescribers (PIPs) are transforming community pharmacy through services such as Pharmacy First Plus, offering accessible clinical care closer to home. Prescribing is rewarding but demanding. Prescribers should follow robust SOPs, maintain suitable diagnostic equipment and ensure they hold individual indemnity cover. Secure digital platforms support accurate records and effective referrals. PIPs must remain within the scope of service. Pharmacy First Plus is intended for acute presentations only, while repeat medication requests should still follow the Community Pharmacy Urgent Supply route. Including the patient’s CHI number on prescriptions supports full traceability.
Patient Safety and Continuous Learning Patient safety is central to pharmacy practice. Incident reviews consistently highlight risks such as supplying the wrong strength or formulation or selecting the wrong patient. Many errors stem from distractions or communication gaps. Simple measures can reduce risks. Taking a “Safety Second,” separating similar medicines
and using shelf-edge warnings help prevent mistakes. Discussing near misses encourages learning and strengthens a proactive safety culture.
Communication and Collaboration Effective communication underpins every part of pharmacy work. Clear conversations with patients, colleagues and prescribers protect safety and support high-quality care. Complaints should be seen as opportunities to improve, with careful listening and accurate documentation helping build trust. Collaboration with GPs, treatment providers and health boards is equally important. Constructive engagement promotes consistent care and highlights the value of community pharmacy within Scotland’s integrated healthcare system.
A Shared Commitment to Excellence Efficiency, prescribing, safety and communication are closely connected. When teams work well together and learn from every interaction, they deliver safer, more responsive care. Scotland’s pharmacy professionals continue to play a vital role in providing accessible, high-quality healthcare.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION UNDERPINS EVERY PART OF PHARMACY WORK
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