Strategic advice

Strategic advice

National Health Service (NHS) (and non-NHS) organisations providing CHS need to have access to advice from a suitably experienced senior pharmacist (typically at band 8b or above) with competency in CHS. They may be directly employed or support the organisation via a contract or SLA. The role of the senior pharmacist will include responsibility for safe systems for managing medicines across the organisation. This includes ensuring that controlled drugs are managed within the legal framework and providing support to the accountable officer (see Chapter 5).

An ability to access strategic pharmacy advice is particularly important at a time of rapid change with services moving from hospital into community settings and redesigned to be closer to the patient. These changes may bring additional risks that need to be assessed and managed.

Response to emergencies may need review, as basic life support only will be available in community settings, along with dialling 999 when necessary.

There may be additional issues relating to safe disposal, for example, when cytotoxics are being administered in a patient’s home. There may be a need for new policies and procedures to support safe practice. There may be a need for the development of PGDs for supply and/or administration of medicines within a new service or for training of new non-medical prescribers. There may need to be advice on the legal route for the supply of appropriately labelled medicines, especially for supply under PGD.