PHARMACISTS IN PRIMARY CARE

The Andover PCN pharmacy team was formed in December 2019 and currently consists of a pharmacist and pharmacy technician. Their expert medication knowledge helps patients to get quick answers to any questions they may have, or have their prescriptions changed where the local area is experiencing supply issues.

This is an area where we can really help GP’s. However, we also understand that many might not be confident knowing what can and can’t be referred to a pharmacist/pharmacy technician rather than a GP. I wanted to reassure you, the only way to learn is to practice, and over time you’ll learn what can be seen by us and what needs a GP input.

We created a simple flow chart to help guide you and we have also set up a ‘Pharmacy Queries’ inbox on each practice’s EMIS.

The queries can include;

• Any out of stock issues
• Problems with community pharmacies
•  Medication reconciliation requests
•  Medication review requests
• General, non-urgent, medical queries.

These could come from a variety of sources (patients, community pharmacies, even GP’s).

Pharmacist

Katie (Kathryn) Norris – since December 2019

• Supporting patients and surgery staff with medication queries
• Participating in the care home multidisciplinary team as the resident pharmacist
• Reviewing medication for all patients living in care homes
• Reviewing high risk medication prescribing for those at risk of hospital admission due to stomach irritation
• Reviewing prescription of the anticoagulant drugs to ensure appropriate dosing and blood monitoring

Coming soon

• Conducting medication reviews for patients with complex medication regimes. These will be 30-minute slots which patients can ask to be booked in to. Alternatively, patients will be invited for a discussion with the pharmacist. This are intended to be in-depth with more time to discuss the patient’s preferences than can be offered by a GP. More information to follow.

Pharmacy Technician

Laura Ackerman – since October 2020

• Altering prescriptions to available medication where local shortages are seen
• Improving communication between GP surgeries and community pharmacies
• Supporting patients with accurate, up to date medication lists after discharge from a stay in hospital
• Developing processes to support referrals into the PCN pharmacy team from reception, so patients get faster response times
• Prescription switches onto Repeat Dispensing

The CCG medicines optimisation team are also part of the virtual pharmacy team in Andover.
Margaret Smith, pharmacist, for Andover Health Centre, Charlton Hill and St Mary’s surgeries
Nick Hale, pharmacist, for Shepherds Spring Medical Centre and Adelaide Medical Centre
Emma Langdown, pharmacy technician across the 5 Andover practices.