Insight Online – September 2023 | The Pharmacists' Defence Association

In this issue:

Conflict, natural disaster and the risk of rising resistance
PDA attends All Party Parliamentary Group roundtable
PDA Ability Network welcomes introduction of learning disability and autism training
Consultation on proposals to enable pharmacy technicians to supply and administer medicines under PGDs
Temperature management of medicines in a pharmacy
Supporting colleagues on strike
Latest news
The Pharmacy Show: 15 – 16 October 2023
Revision programme for those sitting the November 2023 assessment
Enjoy a range of PDA Plus benefits!
Spotlight On

Conflict, natural disaster and the risk of rising resistance

The PDA and the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) have issued a joint statement responding to the threat of Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) in regions affected by conflict and natural disaster.

The Join statement starts, “The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) and the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) would like to respond to the flooding in Libya, the earthquake in Morocco – and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine – by expressing our solidarity with our colleagues and friends in the affected regions, and by reminding all relevant decisionmakers of the link between natural disaster, war, and the emergence and rapid spread of drug-resistant infections.”

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PDA attends All Party Parliamentary Group roundtable

The cross-party group of MPs with an interest in pharmacy gathered to hear from pharmacy representatives about the most important challenges to overcome and what some possible solutions might be. The group is chaired by Taiwo Owatemi, MP who is a pharmacist.

PDA Director of Public Affairs, Claire Ward recently attended a meeting in Parliament to discuss the opportunities and challenges for pharmacy and to highlight areas which the All-Party Group should focus on.

During the wide-ranging discussions which included representatives from across the pharmacy stakeholder spectrum, Claire had the opportunity to outline our position on current issues for members. These issues include the reform of supervision legislation, workforce matters, and proposals around an expanding role for pharmacy technicians.

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PDA Ability Network welcomes introduction of learning disability and autism training

The UK government is consulting on a draft code and asking if it will provide Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered providers with the guidance needed to meet the legislative requirement to ensure all staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role.

The Health and Care Act 2022 included the introduction of a requirement for learning disability and autism training for health and social care staff in CQC-regulated services. This is called the ‘Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism’.

The requirement aims to ensure that staff working at all levels across the diverse settings that make up health and social care sectors receive high-quality and appropriate training on learning disability and autism.

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Consultation on proposals to enable pharmacy technicians to supply and administer medicines under PGDs

We are highlighting the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) recently launched consultation on proposals to enable registered pharmacy technicians to supply and administer medicines under a Patient Group Direction (PGD).

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is seeking views on the proposal to amend the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (HMRs). This will allow registered pharmacy technicians to supply and administer medicines under a PGD.

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Temperature management of medicines in a pharmacy

Community pharmacist and Chair of PDA’s Southeast Regional Committee, Nav Bhogal, has shared guidance on managing temperatures when storing medicines in a pharmacy.

Ambient temperature can impact the rate of degradation of medicines. When medication is exposed to temperatures outside that specified by the manufacturer, it may reduce its effectiveness. A product that is stored outside of its recommended range can be said to have undergone a ‘temperature excursion’.

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Supporting colleagues on strike

PDA member and hospital pharmacist, Liam Volk discusses the importance of and need for industrial action in the NHS and how to support striking workers.

I’ve noticed that despite all our efforts and hard work, the health service is failing patients in many ways. A chronically overworked and understaffed workforce can only do so much. We are all human beings and the years of this environment day in, day out, coupled with pay stagnation, have broken those left in the NHS.

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Below is a summary of some of the other key news stories that have been published on our website recently:26/9/23 – PDA Ability Network invites nominations for upcoming elections

25/9/23 – REMINDER: Have your say on proposals to enable pharmacy technicians to supply and administer medicines under PGDs

13/9/23 – PDA BAME Network to attend 27th Annual STUC Black Workers’ Conference

11/9/23 – PDA LGBT+ Network returns to Manchester Pride

1/9/23 – Worlds apart

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The Pharmacy Show: 15 – 16 October 2023

We are once again proudly supporting The Pharmacy Show – the UK’s only dedicated trade show and education conference designed for the community and primary care pharmacy sector.

We will be delivering several sessions at the show this year and participating in the panel for the supervision in community pharmacy session. See more details on the sessions below:

Supervision in community pharmacy

Monday 16 October, 10.15 am, Keynote Theatre

Recently, organisations from across the community pharmacy sector came together to produce a report that provides recommendations to reframe legislation, regulation, and professional standards and guidance to achieve a new vision for community pharmacy. Read the report here.This panel will give an overview of the work of the Supervision Practice Group and discuss these findings.

Managing the risk of antimicrobial resistance from conflict zones (lessons from the war in Ukraine)

Sunday 15 October, 11.55 am, Business Theatre

The Employed Pharmacists of Europe Federation (EPhEU) has been actively involved in getting vital medicines to Ukraine, alongside helping understand the risk of antimicrobial resistance caused by conflict and the displacement of populations. This issue needs to be understood and considered an emergency. Whether caused by natural disaster or war, there is a need for decision-makers to act around AMR strategy and how practitioners care for patients.

Neurodiverse and disabled pharmacists, securing workplace inclusion

Monday 16 October, 10.25 am, Business Theatre

With many employers facing recruitment and retention challenges, every employee should matter, yet too often talent is wasted due to failure to secure the full contribution of individuals that happen to be neurodiverse or have some form of physical or mental health condition. This session shares learning from the PDA Ability Network as to what needs to change to ensure disability is not a barrier to full inclusion.

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PDA trainee members who are sitting the November 2023 assessment have access to our FREE Revision Programme. The programme, created by experienced pharmacists with backgrounds in writing assessment questions, will help to prepare you for your assessment.

This self-directed online programme includes:

Over 100 practice questions
Multiple practice case studies
Two timed mock ‘exams’
Revision tips
Guidance on the process for sitting the assessment
Guidance on what to do if you do not pass
And more!

To register, please click here. You will have access to the materials straight away and can register from now until 3 November 2023.

This Revision Programme is exclusively available to PDA members. If you have friends or colleagues who are trainee pharmacists and would like to access the programme, please encourage them to join the PDA for FREE here.

We would like to remind you that the GPhC do not release mock exam papers or past papers, so please be wary of any providers claiming that they have access to past papers.

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Enjoy a range of PDA Plus benefits!

As a PDA member, you can take advantage of exclusive PDA Plus offers and discounts. This includes discounts on shopping, domestic appliances, motoring, and more! If you are looking to treat yourself or for a gift for a friend or family member there is something for everyone!

From now until the end of the year you can save 20% on glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses online at Vision Express. This offer is also valid on prescription sunglasses.

Launching MORPh career support – developing your role in primary care

Rachel Jeynes, MORPh Director and MORPh’s team of Associate Directors based throughout the UK, has provided training in primary care for well over 10 years. MORPh provides free webinars and face-to-face practical workshops, as well as a free resources library, the eHub, and CPD solution.

Last year MORPh launched the MORPh Associateship, providing members with access to ALL training recordings and resources, as well as bespoke career development webinars on credentialising, clinical supervision and more!

This month MORPh are launching its Primary Care Recruitment and Mentorship Programme, to support Primary Care Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians.

The programme will have a multi-level approach, providing a bespoke approach to mentoring, whether in Pre-Primary Care and looking for your first role in Primary Care, Entry Level, Experienced or Advanced. The programme is supported by an agreement framework and a set of support webinars for each level. The programme is led by Dipal Patel, a Clinical Pharmacist, with over a decade of experience across multiple sectors within the NHS. He specialises in, Clinical Professional Development for pharmacists using the three C’s model for professional development which, he developed to help pharmacists become ideal candidates for their ideal roles.

Special Offer for PDA Members – enjoy 10% discount off MORPh‘s Minor Ailments study days and On-Demand Diabetes Academy. Use code PDA1023 at checkout.

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