Pharmacy technicians

The evolving world of pharmacy practice means that pharmacy professionals are spending more time than ever conducting patient consultations. Good communication skills are vital to ensure both you and the patient get the best from the discussion. This workshop will support you in developing the key consultation skills needed to ensure you are confident in delivering high-quality person-centred consultations.

This full-day workshop has been developed to support pharmacy professionals working in all sectors.

#CPPEconsultationskills

Learning Objectives:

• outline your professional responsibility to reflect on and develop your consultation skills
• use a reflective tool to evaluate your consultation skills and identify key areas in which to build your expertise
• apply key skills, models and techniques that support a person-centred approach
• recognise good practice versus practice which requires development, by applying critique
• demonstrate an increase in your self-confidence to deliver high-quality person-centred consultations.

This all-day workshop will help those delivering NHS Health Checks to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to offer the service, commissioned through community pharmacy by local authorities, in many areas of England.

This workshop and the associated CPPE Vascular risk and NHS Health Check e-learning provides commissioners with a comprehensive training resource for pharmacy teams. However, it does not provide training on the Point of Care testing machines, which should be carried out by the machine manufacturers.

#CPPEhealthchecks

Learning Objectives:

• understand the aims of the NHS Health Check service and how this fits into current health policy
• define the term cardiovascular risk and recognise which vascular diseases are included in the NHS Health Check programme
• describe how health inequalities affect vascular risk
• know the eligibility criteria for the NHS Health Check
• describe all the tests and measurements that need to be performed during the NHS Health Check
• assess an individual’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease using appropriate evidence-based tools
• communicate cardiovascular risk and give advice to an individual in terms they will understand
• explain management options for modifiable risk factors, following an NHS Health Check, to help reduce the risk, delay and sometimes reverse the onset of vascular disease
• manage patients identified as having low, medium and high cardiovascular risk
• identify situations when it is necessary to refer patients to the GP or other services
• describe the payment claiming procedure and any necessary paperwork.

This programme has been developed for healthcare professionals providing advice to people using inhaled medicines, to optimise their inhaler use and improve outcomes.

The programme will consider the different types of inhaler devices available, how the delivered dose is made in each type, the breathing technique required for each type and the potential implications of sub-optimal technique.

#CPPEasthma

Learning Objectives:

• describe the different types of inhaler devices and their instructions for use
• outline how the delivered dose is made in each type of device
• explain the technique required to achieve the optimum inspiratory flow for each device
• discuss the potential implications of sub-optimal inhaler technique
• demonstrate your role as a healthcare professional in optimising inhaled medicines.

The aim of this learning resource is to give you the skills, knowledge and confidence to deal professionally with any safeguarding issues that may arise in the course of your practice.

Completion of the programme and the associated Level 2 assessment will fulfil the safeguarding requirements at Level 2 for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians as required for the Pharmacy Quality Scheme and by the intercollegiate document Safeguarding children and young people.

Completion of the programme and the associated Level 1 assessment will allow pharmacy support staff to prove their competence at Level 1 as required by the intercollegiate document Safeguarding children and young people.

Learning Objectives:

• explain your role in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and be aware of your legal, ethical and professional responsibilities
• describe the different types of abuse that children and vulnerable adults may be subjected to and know how to recognise the potential signs of abuse
• know who to contact for advice if you have concerns about the safety of a child or vulnerable adult
• take appropriate action if you suspect a case of abuse or neglect, including appropriately reporting and recording your concerns and sharing of information
• be able to identify and refer on an individual suspected of being a victim of trafficking, child sexual exploitation and female genital mutilation or at risk of radicalisation.

This e-learning from CPPE has been developed to support pharmacy technicians to further their understanding of professionalism, apply professional judgement in different situations and develop knowledge to improve patient care, experiences and outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

• define professionalism and identify factors that influence behaviour, performance or attitude
• state the GPhC Standards for Pharmacy Professionals and explain how they relate to your role
• demonstrate application of professional judgement, recognising the limits of your capabilities and balancing the needs of the person
• employ critical thinking skills to analyse available information and make decisions, which you can justify
• identify areas of professionalism or professional decision-making for self-improvement.

In this 30-minute podcast, you will hear about the PINCER and PRACtICe studies from one of their principal investigators, Professor Tony Avery. He discusses the background to the studies, the key findings and recommendations, and how these are influencing the development of prescriber education and the role of community and practice pharmacists. To complete the picture in pharmacy practice, you will also hear from practice pharmacist, Andrew Riley about his role in the PINCER study, from Jane Lambe, a community pharmacist, talking about how pharmacists in each setting act to prevent prescribing errors getting through to patients. Duration: 30:43 mins.

Learning Objectives:

• discuss the background to the PINCER and PRACtICe studies
• list the main results and recommendations of the PINCER and PRACtICe studies
• identify three ways in which pharmacists can intervene or have intervened to prevent, limit or minimise the effects of prescribing errors
• discuss with your colleagues how to produce better outcomes for your patients from the interventions you make.

In this 30 minute podcast, you will hear about the EQUIP study from two of its principal pharmacist investigators, Professor Darren Ashcroft and Steve Williams. They discuss the background to the study, its key findings and recommendations and how it is affecting the role and perception of pharmacists in hospital. Duration: 30:01 mins.

Learning Objectives:

• discuss the background to the EQUIP study
• list the main results and recommendations of the EQUIP study
• identify three ways in which pharmacists can intervene or have intervened to prevent, limit or minimise the effects of prescribing errors
• discuss with your colleagues how to produce better outcomes for your patients from the interventions you make
• explain how you plan to extend your interventions to improve patientoutcomes.

Pharmacy technicians are ideally placed to support patients to make the most of their medicines and this programme is designed to equip you to undertake this role.

This learning programme will help you to understand the needs of patients and to choose the best solution for medicines support, allowing patients to take their medicines effectively, while maintaining their independence.

Learning Objectives:

• identify how patients' experiences of living with a health condition can affect how they take their medicines
• summarise the tools that can be used to optimise medicines
• describe the compliance aids and supportive strategies that can help patients to make the most of their medicines
• apply some of the best practice examples currently used by pharmacy technicians working in medicines support to develop your own role and workplace
• apply the principles of medicines optimisation to enable patients to make the most of their medicine.

The Consultation skills for pharmacy practice (CSfPP) website has been developed in association with Health Education England to support pharmacy professionals in developing patient-centred consultation practice; it presents a six-step learning and development pathway with useful tools and resources to support personal reflection, learning and assessment.

You can access this website here: Consultation skills for pharmacy practice

Learning Objectives:

• explain why consultation skills are important for all pharmacy professionals
• recognise your professional responsibility to reflect on and develop your consultation skills, by working towards the new practice standards
• establish how productive your consultation skills are currently and identify key areas on which to build your expertise
• describe and apply the key skills, models and techniques that support a patient-centred approach to your consultation practice
• engage in the CSfPP assessment process to review your learning and development effectively
• explore how you can continue to develop your skills and behaviours in practice.

This e-learning programme provides key information about repeat dispensing, practical implications of implementing the service and how to use electronic repeat dispensing. It is an interactive programme including videos, quizzes and reflective exercises.

Learning Objectives:

• describe what the NHS repeat dispensing service is and the rules and regulations governing the service
• explain how to provide a safe and efficient repeat dispensing service
• list nine key requirements of repeat dispensing
• explain repeat dispensing and its benefits to patients and assess whether the service is suitable for them
• compare and contrast paper-based and electronic repeat dispensing
• list the benefits and challenges associated with repeat dispensing from a prescriber, practice staff, pharmacy team and patient perspective.

With the increased pressures and demands of pharmacy, this programme discusses how skill mix can improve your work efficacy and how to conduct an effective skill mix.

Learning Objectives:

• identify what skill mix is and why it is important
• explain the potential benefits of skill mix
• list some successful examples of skill mix
• devise a skill mix review
• plan a role redesign in your workplace.

This e-assessment is linked with the practice standards for consultation skills and the CPPE consultation skills learning programmes.

Why should I do this assessment?

Completing this assessment will help you to check your progress and your ability to meet the competencies set out in the practice standards for consultation skills. Passing the assessment will provide assurance to you, your colleagues, other healthcare professionals and patients that you are able to recognise good practice, as well as practice that needs development.

Access and successful completion of this assessment will contribute to your own personal development plan, be recorded in your My CPPE record and will enable you to complete a CPD entry on the learning. It may also provide evidence for achieving competencies in the RPS Foundation or Advanced Pharmacy Frameworks. If you are working towards completing a Declaration of Competence for a pharmacy service, successful completion of this assessment will provide evidence of your learning.

This e-assessment is linked with the CPPE Safeguarding children and vulnerable adult: a guide for the pharmacy team e-learning programme and assesses you on the learning objectives within the programme.

Why should I do this assessment?

This e-assessment is linked with the CPPE Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults – a guide for the pharmacy team programme and assesses you on the learning objectives within that programme.

Why should I do this assessment?

Most of us have faced a situation of conflict or 'difference' at some time. This programme will help you have a clearer understanding of conflict and how it arises. By reading through this guide and taking part in the exercises it includes you will be more equipped to resolve conflict satisfactorily in a way which can result in a positive outcome for all involved.

Please note: after ordering this programme, you will be redirected to an external website where the resource is hosted. Please be aware that CPPE does not maintain control over the accuracy and currency of this programme.

Learning Objectives:

• recognise conflict and its causes
• respond appropriately to different types of behaviour including assertive and aggressive behaviour
• appropriately manage your own behaviour
• know when to step in and defuse a situation.

Our Medicines Safety app is a quick way for any health care professional to test their knowledge, and learn more about, high risk medicines safety issues. It provides quick quizzes with answers giving links to further information & learning. Use it to test your knowledge, improve your practice and generate ideas for your CPD.

Click here to access the app.

This link is to the NHS Leadership Academy website.