Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

NPA asks pharmacies to report all patient safety incidents as number plunge in Q2 of 2020

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has asked community pharmacies to report all patient safety incidents despite growing work pressure due to a persisting virus pandemic.

Since March, there has been a significant decrease in the number of patient safety incidents being reported, the NPA said in its medication safety update for the second quarter of 2020.


Overall, there was a 44.5 per cent decrease in the number of incidents reported during the second quarter of the year, compared to the first quarter of 2020.

There was a 40.6 per cent decrease in the number of patient safety incidents when compared to the same quarter in 2019.

“This is a significant reduction in number of incidents being reported. This may be due to the increased workload and pressure on pharmacy teams due to Covid-19 pandemic, whereby pharmacy teams may not be prioritising reporting of patient safety incidents, or due to other, as yet unknown, reasons,” NPA said in its update.

Suggestions for community pharmacists

NPA advises community pharmacists to ensure that they report the actual degree of harm caused to the patient and not the potential harm that could have happened.

The pharmacy body also suggested pharmacists should make sure that they complete a detailed outcome if an incident did lead to moderate or severe harm to the patient. This allows a thorough analysis to be undertaken by the NPA.

Community pharmacists are also advised to ensure the incident form is fully completed, is accurate and includes sufficient details to allow meaningful analysis of the incident.

Highlights of NPA’s MSO report for second quarter of 2020

Out of the total patient safety incidents during the second quarter of 2020, 94 per cent of issues originated from the pharmacy. Two per cent of errors include prescribing errors and this is a two per cent decrease when compared to the first quarter of the year.

The most common type of incident reported during second quarter was ‘dispensing error’, which accounted for 83 per cent of all reported incidents.

Delivery, collection errors accounted for 10 per cent of the incidents reported - an increase of three per cent when compared to the first quarter of 2020.

The degree of harm caused to patients reported as ‘none’ which constitute 60 per cent and ‘near miss’ 25 per cent continues to make up the majority of reports.

The data reported over second quarter of 2020 has highlighted both good and poor reporting. There were no reports submitted where the degree of harm was reported as ‘severe’ or ‘death’.

There was a two per cent increase in the incidents involving self checking in the second quarter compared to first quarter of the year.

“‘Work and environment factors’ (40 per cent) continues to be the main contributing factor reported. This category includes time pressures, understaffing and poorly organised working environments,” NPA has pointed out.

Look-alike sound-alike (LASA) recorded an uptick with 21 per cent rise when compared to the last quarter and was a major contributing factor to the errors reported.

In addition to the LASA errors highlighted as high risk by NHS Improvement, three per cent of all reported LASA errors involved gabapentin and pregabalin. The reclassification of these medicines as schedule three controlled drugs (CDs) in 2019 has raised more awareness of their reporting.

However, even in the second quarter of 2020 the trend continues and a significant amount of incidents reported involve these medicines.

More For You

The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Guide - a useful resource for pharmacists to support patient health and wellbeing

Chronic inflammation is linked to more than 50 per cent of all deaths worldwide and one in five cancers.

The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Guide - a useful resource for pharmacists to support patient health and wellbeing

When Hemant Patel was struck down by Covid, he was determined to discover what was it that led to the disease having a devastating impact on the lives of people who seemed be healthy – the culmination of his journey is the book, The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Guide.

“I was gasping for breath and counting the number of days I might be alive when I was infected with Covid,” reveals Patel.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scottish community pharmacist working in high street pharmacy with supportive environment

The PDA wants investment to reach those who deliver services to patients every day

Pic credit: iStock

Funding boost in Scotland “needs to work for not just pharmacy owners but pharmacists too”, says PDA

An increase in funding for community pharmacies in Scotland needs to lead to a greater focus on supporting pharmacists rather than “simply sustain business models”, according to the Pharmacy Defence Association (PDA).

Earlier this week, Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) accepted the Scottish government’s initial financial offer for the 2025/26 fiscal year, securing a guaranteed minimum reimbursement of £120 million for community pharmacies — up from £110 million from 2024/25.

Keep ReadingShow less
GP surgery upgrades for annual appointments

The surgeries will have additional space to “see more patients, boost productivity and improve patient care”

Pic credit: iStock

GP surgery upgrades to create 8.3 million more annual appointments

Over 1,000 GP surgeries will have their premises modernised to meet the needs of a further 8.3 million appointments each year, the government has announced.

Backed by a cash injection of over £102 million, the surgeries will have additional space to “see more patients, boost productivity and improve patient care”.

Keep ReadingShow less
Wales boosts funding for pharmacy-led UTI and sore throat test services

The sore throat test (STTT) and treat service will be widely available

Pic credit: istock

Welsh pharmacies receive funding boost for clinical services

Two key clinical services will be available in 99 per cent of community pharmacies across Wales after a boost in funding.

The sore throat test (STTT) and treat service and the urinary tract infection (UTI) service have both benefitted from contractual negotiations between the Welsh Government and Community Pharmacy Wales (CPW).

Keep ReadingShow less
Paul Bennett
Paul Bennett, CEO, Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Paul Bennett, CEO, Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Pharmacists need to take advantage of independent prescribing pathways, says Bennett

Independent prescribing will be a “significant point” in the history of community pharmacy, according to Royal Pharmaceutical Society chief executive Paul Bennett.

Last month, the RPS announced the launch of a comprehensive new prescribing development programme to support pharmacists across all stages of their prescribing careers.

Keep ReadingShow less