Pharmacy Technician in Pre-assessment clinics
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
Background
Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in pre-assessment are in a unique position to work closely with primary care prior to admission for surgery and with secondary care during admission to optimise and influence prescribing decisions. The ability to review and make recommendations to optimise, deprescribe and signpost patients would improve patient safety and experience due to reduced medication errors and missed or delayed doses as accurate medicines histories are completed in readiness for admission. The presence of a pharmacy technician enables pharmacists to focus on managing more complex and high risk patients.
This project supports the Elective Recovery Plan by contribution of reduction in theatre cancellations due to medicine-related reasons, enhancing patient satisfaction and patient safety.
It also supports the NHS People Plan by presenting a unique opportunity for pharmacy technicians to provide enhanced patient care whilst maximising their clinical knowledge and skillset.
Project Aims
The role of pharmacists in pre-assessment clinics is established and rapidly expanding, however, pharmacy technicians also have a fundamental role in this specialist area. The aim of the project is to demonstrate the benefits of and embed the pharmacy technician’s role in pre-assessment clinics to support pharmacists and carry out medicines optimisation for patients prior to surgery.
Project Objectives
Undertake clinical role in medication history taking, advising on essential medicines to be continued or stopped for surgery, patient counselling, preparing for discharge and making key interventions prior to the patient’s surgical journey.
Dealing with high level pre-assessment medicine related queries received from key service users and escalate complex ones to the pharmacist.
Supporting audits & service improvement in pre-assessment.
Contribute to training and education for nurses, doctors and pharmacy colleagues in specialist area.
Create a competency booklet for pharmacy technicians to help develop and assess specialist knowledge and skills.
Expected Outputs
Create a competency booklet for pharmacy technicians to help develop and assess the specialist knowledge and skills to work effectively in a pre-admission clinic role.
Identify pharmacy technician learning needs in a clinical setting and enhance knowledge and skills in this specialist area, supported by HEE.
Reduction in number of theatre cancellations due to medication relation reasons.
Reduction in number of missed, delayed or omitted doses.
Cost savings from re-use of patients own medicines.
Cost savings & improved patient experience from reduced medications errors.
Streamlined pathways preventing delays in surgery due to MDT collaborative work.
Improved patient experience.
Improved staff experience due to the expert level service provided to surgical teams, pre-assessment nurses, anaesthetists and pharmacy teams as well as supporting the pre-assessment pharmacists.
Project Team
Name
Ashik Shah
Anjna Patel
Organisation
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
Role
Accountable Officer
Project Lead