New partnership boosts capacity for compliance aid dispensing
May 2012
Hospital pharmacy staff in North Bristol found that they could not cope with an increasing demand for compliance aids for patients being discharged — so they sought help from an external contractor
Reduce insulin errors using a flash card
January 2012
Insulin is a high-risk drug that requires special measures to ensure its safe prescribing and administration. This was acknowledged by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHNT) in 2007 after several insulin-specific medication errors were identified through its electronic incident reporting system
Improving local compliance with standards for oxygen prescribing
October 2011
To improve prescribing of oxygen at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust a multidisciplinary team developed a new policy and embarked on a programme to embed the changes
Take on MR MOP and clean up medicines use in care homes
September 2011
The need to provide cost-effective and high-quality care, and an increasing number of older people entering residential care, has prompted NHS Surrey to review medicines management in care homes
How pharmacists can add value within post-take ward rounds
April 2011A change in the consultant service at the Royal London Children’s Hospital has been supported by the pharmacy team and has provided opportunities for pharmacists to be involved in post-take ward rounds
Intervention recording in Wales gives evidence of pharmacy value
March 2011
Implementation of a national database of pharmacy interventions in Wales has facilitated the collection of data on pharmacists’ interventions and how these can save money and improve patient safety
Improving linezolid information for patients and the healthcare team
February 2011Poor awareness of linezolid’s side effects and monitoring requirements led clinicians at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust to develop a linezolid information pack for doctors and patients
How pharmacists helped make opioid prescribing “DR CD SAFE”
November 2010In response to the National Patient Safety Agency’s 2008 opioid report, a multidisciplinary team at King’s College Hospital developed and implemented an opioid prescribing guide called “DR CD SAFE”
Looking for information on future medicines? Try New Drugs Online
October 2010Pharmacists are often asked to make decisions on medicines that are not yet licensed or have only just reached the market. New Drugs Online, a resource from UKMi, is useful in such situations
Improving an information service for medicines use in liver disease
September 2010Pharmacists at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have developed resources to improve the medicines information service, which specialises in enquiries about medicines use for patients with liver disease
Using a DVD to educate doctors about medicines reconciliation
May 2010In Bristol, awareness and processes around medicines reconciliation have been given a boost with the creation of an educational DVD — shown to junior doctors as part of their induction programme
The on-call pharmacist's bag — is there a different way?
March 2010Are you still hauling a Martindale, a Stockley’s and a laptop home when you are on call? If so, pharmacists in Ipswich suggest there is a more ergonomic way to access the necessary resources
Developing a drug library for "smart" IV infusion devices: a smart move?
October 2009“Smart” infusion pumps have the potential to reduce intravenous drug administration errors. But these devices are only as reliable as the infusion information they contain — and the person operating them
When pharmacists in the MAU gained access to patients' GP records
September 2009Some patients, when admitted to hospital, can remember every detail of what they have been prescribed; others carry full, up-to-date lists or transport their entire medicine cabinet with them to hospital. But all too often healthcare professionals working in medical admissions units (MAUs) have to deal with incomplete verbal histories or out-of-date prescriptions.
