Pharmacist travel clinic training

Pharmacists can run their own travel clinic by using authorised patient group directions (Pharmacy PGDs) with sufficient up to date training. But what training is involved? This is up to the PGD authorising medical agency, they will have their own internal protocols to make sure that the training they  give meets certain safety standards. There are national standards and recommendations for pharmacist travel clinic training, the training provided by the medical agency should fully meet these.

Travel PGD - New Slides

We have now updated all of our Travel PGD learning resources with new slides and lectures covering all aspects of travel health.

PGD Pharmacy Brochure

Would you like to see our brochure? We have sent it out to every pharmacy nationwide, however if you didnt get it or would like to pass one on, just click this link for our Pharmacy PGD brochure. It contains details of our flagship PGD store in Islington, London and shows how much revenue is generated over certain periods in the year.

Patient Group Directions - Ensuring Safe and Effective Practice

Patient group directions (PGDs) are defined by the MHRA as "written instructions for the supply or administration of medicines to groups of patients who may not be individually identified before presentation for treatment". In simpler terms, a PGD is a document which enables clinically trained health professionals to bypass the medicine act and supply specific POM medicines without a prescription. In laymans terms this means a pharmacist or nurse can supply medicines like Viagra, Propecia or certain vaccines to patients without the need for a doctor.

POMs, prescription only medicines are prescription only for a reason, this is so that they are not open to abuse and that they are used for their clinical, licensed purpose. The prescriber is the legal "gate keeper" to the medicine and no other health professional can supply them. However, in recent years, more and more classes of health care professional have been able to prescribe them. This first started with the expansion of the dentist formulary, then with nurse independent and supplementary prescribing and relevantly recently, pharmacist prescribing. The NHS opened the gates to new prescribers in response to the growing amount of prescriptions needed each year and a diminishing supply of doctors.

However, if nearly any healthcare professional can use PGDs, what safe guards are in place to make sure that that clinician is of a competent standard? There are multiple safe guards in place in the private (non-NHS domain).

1. Firstly, the Quality Care Commission (CQC) who regulate all PGD related activity make sure that the private medical agency providing the PGDs conform to certain standards such as patient confidentiality, audit requirements and safety protocols.
2. The company supplying the PGDs also needs a GMC registered doctor and a GPhC registered pharmacist to sign each PGD certifying their safety and fitness of purpose.
3. All PGDs have inclusion and exclusion criteria which safe guard vulnerable patients from treatment. For instance, authorised clinicians using a Lariam (Malaria) PGD need to check whether the patient has any past history of epilepsy. If epilepsy is present the patient will be excluded from treatment and referred to a doctor.

In all, PGDs are an excellent tool for the NHS to meet key objectives such as better access to medicines without compromising patient safety. From a patient perspective, it enables them to get the medicines when they need them most and not be restricted to "Emergency Supply" protocol from pharmacies.

PatientGroupDirection.com & Incaplex announce Partnership and New Travel Core PGD Plus

PatientGroupDirection.com & Incaplex announce Partnership and New Travel Core PGD Plus

PatientGroupDirection.com, the UK's most innovative provider of clinical administration services and Incaplex, the company behind the market leading travel clinic management software - Inca Clinic, are delighted to announce a new partnership to provide the first turn-key solution for Travel Clinic services to UK pharmacies.

The service will include all 13 of PatientGroupDirection.com’s PGDs, that are CQC registered and provide pharmacists with the necessary training and expertise to administer and supply a wide range of travel medications and vaccines.  Travel Core PGD Plus, will also include Inca Clinic’s highly innovative online Travel Clinic management service to provide pharmacists with the most compelling PGD product on the market.

The CQC registered service enables pharmacists to reduce their dependency on NHS services. The 13 medications and vaccine PGDs in Travel Core PGD Plus are specifically selected and enable pharmacies to provide a comprehensive Travel Clinic service.

Inca Clinic is a complete patient management application for travel clinic service providers. Built on the worlds leading online application platform Salesforce.com. You just need a web browser to run Inca Clinic. The application is compliant with NHS IG and numerous requirements laid down by the CQC.

Previously both services, if purchased separately, would have cost over £3000 per annum.  However, this new partnership will enable Pharmacies to launch the complete service from as little as £2100 for the first year, a fraction of the potential profit that can be gained through diversification into this space by independent and community pharmacies.  Pharmacies can trial the Inca Clinic today by signing up for a free 15 day trial. Existing PatientGroupDirection.com can also available of special pricing structure; contact Incaplex for more details.

Tom Matchett, Business Development Director for PatientGroupDirection.com commented:

“We have been impressed with the usability, depth and functionality of the Inca Clinic software and recognised how useful this service could be to our clients in maximizing the profit potential of Travel Clinic service operations.  As a Customer Relationship Management tool, it also offers many benefits to traditional practices both from a business and clinical perspective”.

Richard  Boyd, CEO of Incaplex commented:

“Our two services fit hand in glove, after undergoing going the extensive training provided by PatientGroupDirection.com, Inca Clinic enables pharmacies to quickly grow and manage their travel vaccine service while working within their specific PGD. Together our companies offer the most comprehensive and cost effective service on the market.”

Travel Core PGD + Package Includes

·         PGDs for Dip/tet/polio, Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, Rabies, Cholera (Oral), MMR, Meningitis ACWY, Jap Encephalitis, Malarone, Doxycycline, Lariam, Adrenaline - Anaphylaxis.

·         Comprehensive training, online and practical assessments. 

·         Inca Clinic, a best of breed online PMR solution to enable pharmacies to manage, monitor and support their Travel Clinic business' throughout the entire process.

·         Only £2100 + VAT (Save £900!)

For further information about this press release please contact:

Tom.Matchett@patientgroupdirection.com

Marketing Director, Patientgroupdirection.com Tel: +44 7887 564021

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