Empowering you to meet regulatory and best practice requirements

Automation which uses barcode scanning technology, such as Assisted Due Date Dispensing (ADDD) and Scan to Accuracy Check (StAC), allows team members to dispense prescribed items without a manual accuracy check. When using these systems, it is important that distractions are recognised, acted upon and minimised where possible. Distractions are sometimes unavoidable; however, you should discuss as a team how distractions can be minimised in your store. 
A video which provides further information on how to manage distractions when using 
innovation systems is available here.

The Categorised Patient Notes Report on Columbus is an optional tool which can be used to generate the details of information obtained or provided through the use of handout prompts, including those highlighting a high risk medicine or where action or advice is needed. Generating the report can support with the monthly Patient Safety Review, by driving conversations about what good looks like and capturing the required information when speaking with a patient or their representative during the handout process; this can help to grow your pharmacy’s patient safety culture. The latest ‘Tips and Tricks’ video produced by the Columbus team covers how to generate and use the Categorised Patient Notes report to support the review of handout prompts – this can be accessed here. 

In order to support patients receiving the items they require when they need them, retrieval standards must be adopted correctly. All bags must be scanned into a location, including those which require storage in the Controlled Drugs (CD) cabinet or a fridge. At handout, the label on every bag should be scanned, ensuring that all the patient’s bags are retrieved from every listed eRetrieval location, and any prompts should be actioned appropriately. Refer to the relevant SOPs and associated supporting information for putting dispensed items into eRetrieval and for the handout process; these can be accessed via MyHub. 

Retrieval maintenance, as per the retrieval standards, is also critical. The eRetrieval report should be used as part of the planned weekly review of retrieval storage. Please remember that if a bag has not been scanned into eRetrieval, it will not appear in the eRetrieval report. It is good practice to check all locations, including the CD cabinet(s) and fridge(s) for bags older than five weeks for any that have not been added to eRetrieval. Retrieval standards guidance can be accessed here. 

Healthcare professionals will be aware of the need to avoid creating duplicate patient records in all pharmacy systems. For the KnowMalaria app, pharmacists and nurses need to consider that a traveller may have a record as a result of a previous store visit, pre-populating KnowMalaria from the link provided in their appointment confirmation and/or previously using our online Malaria Prevention Service. Searching for a traveller with one piece of information will only find a record held in the store where the traveller has presented. However, using two pieces of information will identify any records held anywhere in the system. If a record(s) is located this way, it can be associated with the store where the traveller is having their appointment. By ensuring duplicate records are not created, a traveller’s complete history of consultations and vaccinations provided using KnowMalaria will be shown on one record.

The QIV-HD pre-filled syringe is supplied with a luer lock with either Rigid Tip Cap or Soft Tip Cap (as detailed in the Summary of Product Characteristics [SmPC]). Suitable needles are supplied separately from the vaccine and need to be attached to the pre-filled syringe during vaccine preparation. The guidance for attaching the needle to either Rigid Tip Cap or Soft Tip Cap varies – vaccinators should follow the guidance in the QIV-HD SmPC and ‘Boots Winter Flu Jab Service eLearning for Healthcare Professionals 2024/25’ and ensure that they are familiar with the needle attachment technique.