Empowering you to meet regulatory and best practice requirements

A new Manager’s Observation Tool is now live on MyHub for store and field-based managers to help give in-the-moment feedback to team members undertaking Assisted Due Date Dispensing (ADDD), Scan to Accuracy Check or handout activities. At least one of these observations should be completed each week as part of the ‘Line Manager’s Weekly Clinical Governance Checklist’ activities. These observations should be used to promote ‘Always Events’ and to help prevent ‘Never Events’.

Our goal is that team members should ALWAYS follow ‘single item flow’ principles when dispensing using Assisted Due Date Dispensing (ADDD) or Scan to Accuracy Check and NEVER hand someone the wrong person’s medication when handing out dispensed medication.

In March, new features will be introduced into our delivery processes. The delivery SOPs have been updated accordingly; all pharmacy team members should be working through these and the training on the SOPs should be completed by 18 March 2025. Using scan technology as part of the delivery processes, we will benefit from traceability of packages as well as safety features which will help to reduce the risk of delivery incidents. Please note that it is still a requirement of the handover SOP that when an authorised dispensary team member (DTM) hands over a package(s) in store to the delivery driver, this is done with focus and due care to attention - team members should check that the label on the package matches the delivery details booked onto the BHL web system before the barcode is scanned. This will associate the barcode with the address and help to ensure that the correct package is selected from the van at the delivery location.

The awards return for their twelfth year, celebrating the incredible contributions of community pharmacy team members across the UK. If you or someone in your healthcare team goes above and beyond in their role, or perhaps you’re part of a team that deserves to be recognised for your contribution to community pharmacy, you can nominate now. For further information on the award categories and/or to complete your nomination please see here. Please note that nominations close on 4 April 2025.

Please accept our apologies as there were discrepancies in the case study in the February 2025 edition of The Professional Standard. The case study failed to recognise the issue of displacement for the product described. It is important to note that effervescent tablets can displace volumes of water on dissolution and the amount of displacement varies between products. Formulation-specific guidance on preparation of doses is required to prevent dose preparation inaccuracy. For the correct  administration instructions for Phosphate Sandoz™ effervescent tablets for neonates and children, please see here. The document also includes instructions for Sando K^® , and calcium effervescent tablets along with additional resources. 

Takeda UK Ltd have confirmed that following recent changes to the licensing of their Elvanse^® range of products, Elvanse^® may now be used to fulfil prescriptions for paediatric (from 6 years), adolescent and adult patients providing the indication is appropriate. Historically, Elvanse^® was only licensed for those in the age range of 6 to 17 years, with Elvanse Adult^® licensed for supply to adult patients from age 18 years onwards. Elvanse Adult^® is scheduled for discontinuation and when current stocks are exhausted it will be withdrawn. When presented with a prescription for Elvanse Adult^®, please ensure that the patient is aged 18 years or over as Elvanse Adult^® is not licensed for patients under 18 years of age. If dispensing a prescription for Elvanse^® or generic lisdexamfetamine capsules, then Elvanse^® may be supplied to patient cohorts from age 6 years and above.