NPA Provides Free Pseudoephedrine Training - For Pharmacists And For Support Staff, UK

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Also Included In: Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 17 Sep 2007 - 17:00 PDT

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The NPA is providing free training for all its members to ensure that they have every tool at their disposal to meet the challenge of keeping pseudoephedrine as a Pharmacy medicine. The training will be delivered through a range of resources to meet the needs of the widest range of community pharmacy situations and learning styles.

Resources will include:

- Digital audiovisual lecture available to be played on computers in the workplace or at home

- Presentation slides with speaker notes for the pharmacist to train all their staff in small groups

- Information leaflet for pharmacy staff to read independently

- Digital audio lecture for download to MP3 players.

- Training record for use in the pharmacy

The resources will be available electronically on the NPA website (www.npa.co.uk), on a CD-ROM, and as paper versions. Paper copies and the CD-ROM will be distributed free of charge to all members of the NPA and will be made available to locums and other appropriate groups.

To keep the current classification of products containing pseudoephedrine, members will also be relying on pharmacy staff. The NPA has made good on its commitment to respond immediately, following the decision by the MHRA by issuing a Factsheet Taking care with pseudoephedrine sales for pharmacy support staff. One copy of this factsheet is being mailed to all members with the September issue of the member magazine, InTouch. Further copies can be downloaded from the members' area of http://www.npa.co.uk.

The Fact Sheet explains why it is so critical that best practice is followed for sales of products containing pseudoephedrine, offers best practice guidance for dealing with customers and lists common products containing pseudoephedrine products currently sold in the UK. It will be particularly helpful for the induction of new staff and will be sent to all those registering on the NPA Medicine Counter Assistants course - Pharmacy Interact.

Neal Patel, NPA Head of Communications said: "Although we won the first stage in the campaign to keep pseudoephedrine as a P medicine we can't rest on our laurels - the CHM could still reclassify it as a POM between now and July 2009 and pharmacy's reputation is on the line. These support materials will help NPA members to ensure that they meet the challenge and prevent these medicines from getting into the hands of criminals through community pharmacy."