Page 45 - Demo

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
SUPPORTING PHARMACY PRACTICE
What is staged supply?
A staged supply service of prescribed medicines involves supplying a quantity of a medicine to
a consumer less than the originally prescribed quantity at specified intervals.1 These intervals may be daily, alternate days, weekly, fortnightly, or any other specified interval that is appropriate, and may be influenced by various factors, including patient needs.1 The program may also include an in-store dose component where a patient may only collect their medicines if they take their dose in front of the pharmacist.1 The remaining medicine is stored at the pharmacy to be collected at a later time.1
Staged supply may be initiated by the pharmacist
or at the request of the prescriber. It may also be initiated in response to a request from another health professional such as a case worker, the patient, or a carer.1 If the service is initiated by anyone other than the prescriber then the prescriber should be informed of the arrangement (unless agreed otherwise with the consumer/agent), together with details of the service to be provided.1 For the best outcomes all of the relevant health professionals involved in a patient’s care should be aware of the situation.
Relevance to pharmacy practice
Under the Sixth CPA (6CPA) Pharmacy Practice Incentive (PPI) programme, eligible community pharmacies participating in this priority area receive an annual incentive payment for providing a staged supply service. A registration form, program guidelines and a fact sheet can be found on the 6CPA website (at: www.6cpa.com.au).
To be eligible for these payments a pharmacy must2:
• be a Section 90 Pharmacy
• be accredited by an approved Pharmacy
Accreditation Program such as the Quality Care
Pharmacy Program (QCPP)
• agree to publicly display and comply with the
Community Pharmacy Service Charter and
Customer Service Statement
• register for the program via the 6CPA Registration
and Claiming Portal
• continue to meet the above eligibility criteria
while participating in the Staged Supply Program
• deliver Staged Supply services in accordance with the PPI Program Specific Guidelines.
Practical support tools
A number of tools and resources are available for pharmacists providing a staged supply service.
PSA has produced the Standard and guidelines for pharmacists providing a staged supply service for prescribed medicines (standard and guidelines). This may be found on the PSA (at: www.psa.org.au) or 6CPA (at: www.6cpa.com.au) websites. The QCPP contains a sample store policy and staged supply checklist. The PSA standard and guidelines contain an example staged supply service agreement, staged supply record form and a patient information sheet.
“All pharmacists and supporting staff members should be educated in the pharmacy’s staged supply policy and procedures, and familiarise themselves with the guidelines available.”
These resources provide pharmacists with parameters within which to deliver a safe and effective program. Although these guidelines and other resources provide guidance for best practice, pharmacists are also expected to utilise their clinical professional judgement to create a program and service best suited to their patients, the pharmacy and the medicine.1
All pharmacists and supporting staff members should be educated in the pharmacy’s staged supply policy and procedures, and familiarise themselves with the guidelines available.1 Adequate training ensures the service meets the needs and preferences of the clients, and ensures that all staff members involved can adequately fulfil their role.1
Benefits
The main aims of staged supply are to minimise harm and improve patient outcomes,2 though personal experience shows that some consumers may be reluctant to embrace the program initially. This service provides an environment where there is a high level of contact with pharmacists and professional management of medicines, as well as contributing to improved adherence and quality of life for the patient and their family.3
Australian Pharmacist January 2017 I ©Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd. 43