Congratulations go to the SGPA Clinical Pharmacy Team based across twelve practices in Sunderland who were runners up for the Primary Care Pharmacy Team of the year 2018.
The award, given by the Primary Care Pharmacy Association, was based on the interventions the pharmacists have made as part of the national NHS England Clinical Pharmacists in General Practice scheme. An initial pilot site since May 2016 with the aim of integrating clinical pharmacists into general practice to increase capacity, re-design workflow from GP’s and other clinicians and also offer face to face pharmacist reviews to patients and carers.
The data collected by the team highlights the benefits to patients and practices, including GP’s and also the quality and safety improvements made. The benefits of the work undertaken include increased patient access to a medicines expert, undertaking work the GP’s would otherwise have to do, prescribing savings and savings to the NHS system as a whole including admission avoidance.
Improved safety and quality outcomes include medication and process audits, staff training around medication and understanding and implementing guidelines and stopping inappropriate medicines, including care home reviews.
Relationship building has been key to the success of this, helping to recognise and raise the profile of primary care pharmacists, as being essential to the team by working collaboratively with other pharmacy sectors such as the community, mental health and secondary teams.
Congratulations to the team and their continued hard work for the award: (l-r) Ambreen Aslam, Christina Gkali, Megan Blythe, Florence Bonnafoux, Angela Wilson, FC Chan and Kelly Swinburne (not pictured).
Well done to everyone involved.