Dear Member,
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unexpected immense pressure for community pharmacies who are evidently under significant strain already. To help you during this time, the NPA has developed two concise training guides designed to ensure that everyone working in the pharmacy is well informed to fully support the pharmacy workforce and services in this challenging situation. These guides are free to download below and can also be found on the NPA L&D homepage.
Pandemic training guide for Volunteers
The content of this training consists of an overview of COVID-19 and its associated symptoms, as well as duties and tasks to perform in relation to the Responsible Pharmacist requirements. The course also highlights that the learner must recognise the limitations of their role within the pharmacy workforce, and proactively seek advice and guidance from regular pharmacy team members when necessary.
This course does not include everything volunteers need to complete to deliver medicines as this has both insurance liabilities in addition to safety issues relating to the patient and communities. If volunteers are to be used for delivering medicines, they need to read this training and complete further training by reading the pharmacy’s delivery driver SOP. The NPA’s has also created a Delivery Factsheet for Volunteers and a SOP for delivering pharmacy items for use at this time.
To access please click on the links below:
* Volunteer training guide
* Delivery Fact Sheet
* Delivering items SOP
Note: A valid DBS check is required in line with the NPA’s policy which can be found here.
Pandemic training guide for Pharmacy Staff
This guide is aimed at supporting staff through the many changes that are being required of pharmacies within a short period of time during the COVID-19 pandemic. It can be used by existing trained or trainee healthcare staff to understand the changes that may take place in their pharmacy and operational practices and how these will affect them. The guide also includes tips for managing different areas of the pharmacy and mental wellbeing for pharmacy staff.
Click on the link to access the Pharmacy Training Guide