RachelT
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
Sorry we're rubbish....
Ummm, sorry...I work in a pharmacy (i'm a pharmacy technician, we help the pharmacists but don't have the four year degree or clinical knowledge, or alas, the pay scale) and i'm trying not to appologise for the whole profession(s). I'm not in community though, i work in a hospital, but we still mess up from time to time. Trust me, it's nearly as frustrating for me as it is for you (nobody likes to be rubbish). Yeah, occassionally we run out of stuff, even insulin, i know it's stupid, but sometimes the suppliers or the manufacturers have a problem and we can't get round it. I don't think there's a problem with Novorapid at the moment (i'm not 100% sure, coz Boots may very well have a different supplier to us NHS trusts, and my job has changed in the last week meaning i spend less time dispensing).
I don't think it should matter which sharps bin you have, as long as it's not the blue/purple cytotoxic one (is there another colour for human waste? I can't remember). Our local council collects ours and as i'm not supposed to finger prick test mine's nowhere near full.
Yeah, insulin should be kept in a fridge, as Helen said, that's really one of the first things you learn when you work in a pharmacy, but i think it just means a reduction in the lifespan if it's left out. I'm not sure how long you have to leave it out before it starts to reduce or how long the new lifespan is, it could be as much as four weeks anyway.
Lastly, in case you're interested or can't understand why the counter staff don't know about doses and side effects...There's three groups of people in the pharmacy business.. The Pharmacist, who as somebody said earlier has to own and be responsible for the business. He or she has a four year degree and a year pre-registration experience before they can register with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and call themselves a Pharmacist. They know all about the drugs, what they're used for, how to use them and what sort of doses a person needs, or if not, they know how to find out. They double check the doctor's prescription before it's dispensed and can check that the drugs are correct before the prescription is given back to the patient.
Then there's us Technicians, we've got a BTEC and or an NVQ level 3 in a Pharmacy subject (that's usually a two year day release course) or equivalent. Traditionally we're all about dispensing, that's getting the right drug with the right instructions to the right person. Lately hospital based techs have been getting out and about a bit more and are talking to patients on the wards about what drugs they usually take and giving advice on new ones. We get extra training before we;re let loose on patients though... Techs also do a whole host of other jobs, like ordering in drugs for stock, making up syringes of drugs, managing the workforce, maintaining the pharmacy environment and so on. Some can final check the prescriptions, a job previously reserved for pharmacists. Quite soon we are also going to have to register with "the society".
Then there's ATOs or assistants or dispensers. These are staff who may not have the relevant training to be classed as techs. Job roles vary widely, we have a lovely lady who looks after the front desk and some ATOs who dispense. We also have ATOs who maintain stock on the wards and some who help make up syringes.
Sorry, uber-long post, hope your insulin arrives soon Northerner
Rachel
Ummm, sorry...I work in a pharmacy (i'm a pharmacy technician, we help the pharmacists but don't have the four year degree or clinical knowledge, or alas, the pay scale) and i'm trying not to appologise for the whole profession(s). I'm not in community though, i work in a hospital, but we still mess up from time to time. Trust me, it's nearly as frustrating for me as it is for you (nobody likes to be rubbish). Yeah, occassionally we run out of stuff, even insulin, i know it's stupid, but sometimes the suppliers or the manufacturers have a problem and we can't get round it. I don't think there's a problem with Novorapid at the moment (i'm not 100% sure, coz Boots may very well have a different supplier to us NHS trusts, and my job has changed in the last week meaning i spend less time dispensing).
I don't think it should matter which sharps bin you have, as long as it's not the blue/purple cytotoxic one (is there another colour for human waste? I can't remember). Our local council collects ours and as i'm not supposed to finger prick test mine's nowhere near full.
Yeah, insulin should be kept in a fridge, as Helen said, that's really one of the first things you learn when you work in a pharmacy, but i think it just means a reduction in the lifespan if it's left out. I'm not sure how long you have to leave it out before it starts to reduce or how long the new lifespan is, it could be as much as four weeks anyway.
Lastly, in case you're interested or can't understand why the counter staff don't know about doses and side effects...There's three groups of people in the pharmacy business.. The Pharmacist, who as somebody said earlier has to own and be responsible for the business. He or she has a four year degree and a year pre-registration experience before they can register with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and call themselves a Pharmacist. They know all about the drugs, what they're used for, how to use them and what sort of doses a person needs, or if not, they know how to find out. They double check the doctor's prescription before it's dispensed and can check that the drugs are correct before the prescription is given back to the patient.
Then there's us Technicians, we've got a BTEC and or an NVQ level 3 in a Pharmacy subject (that's usually a two year day release course) or equivalent. Traditionally we're all about dispensing, that's getting the right drug with the right instructions to the right person. Lately hospital based techs have been getting out and about a bit more and are talking to patients on the wards about what drugs they usually take and giving advice on new ones. We get extra training before we;re let loose on patients though... Techs also do a whole host of other jobs, like ordering in drugs for stock, making up syringes of drugs, managing the workforce, maintaining the pharmacy environment and so on. Some can final check the prescriptions, a job previously reserved for pharmacists. Quite soon we are also going to have to register with "the society".
Then there's ATOs or assistants or dispensers. These are staff who may not have the relevant training to be classed as techs. Job roles vary widely, we have a lovely lady who looks after the front desk and some ATOs who dispense. We also have ATOs who maintain stock on the wards and some who help make up syringes.
Sorry, uber-long post, hope your insulin arrives soon Northerner
Rachel
