BRADFORD & AIREDALE CCG TRUST

ashcroft surgery,
bradford

Newlands Way, Eccleshill, Bradford, BD10 0JE, West Yorkshire, UK

Useful Numbers

  • CALL 111 –  open 24 hours for help with medical problems of short duration and sudden onset
  • ANY LOCAL PHARMACIST for good advice about medicines, minor illness
  • DISTRICT NURSES: 01274 256 131 for wounds, dressings, elderly people
  • HEALTH VISITORS: 01274 221 223 for advice about babies and children
  • MIDWIVES: 01274 623 952 if you’re pregnant
  • National Coronavirus Support Line 0333 880 6619

Medicine Stock – ordering, handling and storing

ASHCROFT LEADS

  • Doctor:  
  • Nurse: Chantelle Kerin / HCA Maureen Baildon
  • Admin:  

DATE REVIEWED:

21st July 2022

DATE OF NEXT REVIEW:

July 2023

What medicines do we keep at Ashcroft?

See the list as detailed in the Downloads section above…

The following were considered in deciding what medicines are kept at the Practice;

  • Vaccinations, emergency medicines and medicines which are used in procedures or services provided/offered by the practice (e.g. joint injection and contraception)
  • The medicines which doctors and nurses are confident in using
  • The storage requirement like room temperature
  • Security, we decided not to keep morphine as special requirement for storage
  • Shelf life
  • Proximity of local hospital to catchment area of Ashcroft surgery
  • The extent of ambulance and paramedics cover
  • Availability of pharmacies in the locality ( there is a pharmacy few steps away from the practice building)
  • Review of neighbouring practices protocol
  • Discussion with community pharmacist
  • Review guidelines from GMC good medical practice, BMA website, CQC guidance about emergency medicines, drugs and therapeutic bulletin 2005

Arrival of Medicines

For any deliveries of medication, the front desk admin must inform a practice nurse (PN) so the PN can put them into the correct storage.  Any which are refrigerated (e.g. vaccinations and injections) must be immediately dealt with to maintain the cold chain. This includes ensuring  the exact time and date of delivery are reported when accepted from the delivery driver and put into fridge.

Storage of Medicines

These will be stored either in the drug cupboard or a drug fridge. An emergency drug box is also located with the other emergency kit by the fire door and the post room.  Medications awaiting disposal is located in the cupboard in the post-room A practice agreed list of drugs and stock levels is to be adhered to.

The two drug fridge temperatures are checked and recorded twice per day Monday to Friday to ensure within the recommended temperature range. If fridge temperatures are NOT within recommended range, you must report it immediately to the Practice Manager or Asst Practice Manager.

Issuing medicine

  • Any drugs taken from the drug cupboard must be entered in the practice drug book by the person making the withdrawal. If the person is taking the last one/two, please inform Samera Ahmed.  The person making the withdrawal must check the expiry date of the item being taken, taking the stock with the least remaining time left.
  • It is the responsibility of all clinical staff to be familiar with the medicines kept at the surgery including the indication, and dosage.
  • If doctors are using medicines for procedures like minor surgery, joint injections etc. it’s their duty to inform the lead nurse of the medicines they need, not only to do the procedure safely but also to deal with potential complications.

Checking Expiry Dates

HCA Samera Ahmed is the identified practice person, who will regularly review the drugs (at least once per 6 months), to ensure the drug book stock level matches with the actual stock and the out of date dates.

  • They will also check the emergency drug cupboard. Any drugs within 3 months will have a post it attached so used first.
  • The emergency kit is more frequently checked by the nurses.
  • Two clinical staff should complete these date checks. Any needing replacement will be informed to the Practice Manager or Assistant Practice Manager for ordering.
  • However the responsibility is still with the individual doctor to ensure the drugs are all in date prior to using them.T

Disposal of Medicines - by practice & patients

It is recognised by the practice that some patients will focus the return of their unwanted medication to the practice. Although we could refuse this and direct them to the chemist, we do not want to see any patient then not safely dispose of them. So, any unwanted medication handed in from patients and our own unwanted or out of date stock, should be placed in the disused medication box in the Practice Manager’s cupboard. This box will then be emptied into a bag and handed to the chemist when they attend the surgery.

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