Pharmacy, It's Bloody Brilliant

Posted by Jody at Thursday, April 07, 2011

My rotation this month is non-traditional pharmacy in Bath, UK. This rotation incorporated both hospital pharmacy and community, with an emphasis on community.

Week 1: Bristol Royal Infirmary

At the BRI, I was placed in Medicines Information (i.e. drug info). In the morning I would visit the ward with the pharmacist to complete medication reconciliation on each patient, review med charts, and evaluate discharge medications. In the afternoon I answered drug info questions from GP’s (general physician in the community) or retail pharmacists. In the hospital setting, pharmacy technicians play a much larger role. They are active on the floor - interacting with patients, and assisting pharmacists with med rec. And of course tea time occurred daily at 10:30am.

Week 2: Boot’s Pharmacy

Boot’s is a popular chain pharmacy company within England. Retail pharmacy is much more relaxed with only one insurance company and absolutely no rejections when processing claims. All prescriptions, regardless of brand or generic, have one set price. However, most patients are exempt from prescription fees. The first thing I noticed was the difference in OTC’s: codeine, fluconazole, sumatriptan, and tamsulosin

Week 3: Lifestyle Pharmacy

This pharmacy is an independent pharmacy located in the center of Bath. Here I was able to understand pharmacy contracts and the drug tariff. All pharmacies must have a contract with the NHS (National Health Service). There are three contracts: essential, advanced, and enhanced. Each contract incorporates different services the pharmacy must provide. Among the services offered is methadone treatment for recovering heroin addicts. The drug tariff is a book published monthly by the NHS, which lists reimbursement costs for any medication dispensed.

Week 4: Hawes Whiston, Chemist

Pharmacists in the UK are often referred to as chemists. This pharmacy was also an independent pharmacy. The owner explained the classification of medications: GSL (general sales list), P (pharmacy), and POM (prescription only medication).

- GSL: Medications that can be sold outside of the pharmacy (i.e. supermarkets), such as 16 tablets of paracetamol (aka acetaminophen)

- P: Medications that must be sold within a pharmacy while a pharmacist is present. These medications can be sold in larger quantities than GSL products, such as 32 tablets of paracetamol.

- POM: Medications that can only be dispensed with a prescription.

The opportunity to experience pharmacy in another country was a fantastic experience and something I would recommend to every student. It was a chance to see first-hand the differences in pharmacy practice compared to the US as well as how pharmacists interact with other healthcare professionals.