| · SOPs (2)
· Methadone mixture
· Oxygen services (2)
· Assisted dying (3)
· Branded prescribing
· Boots / UniChem merger
Letters to the Editor
|
Oxygen services
Inefficiency showing no signs of subsiding
From Mr G. Gardener, MRPharmS
I cannot let the letter from Mike
Beaman (PJ, 4 March, p263) pass without
comment.
Since I am not based in Mr Beaman’s region, I cannot comment on
the efficiency of the oxygen handover there. However, I am only too aware
of the chaos that has prevailed in my area: chaos that is continuing
and showing no signs of subsiding, five weeks into the handover.
My patients are not bothered about local implementation groups or even
regional reference groups and are certainly not in the least concerned
with the job security of faceless bureaucrats. What they are concerned
about is the supply of oxygen to themselves, or their nearest and dearest.
As a pharmacist, I pride myself in putting the needs of patients first.
Despite repeated warnings from many contractors, this scheme was pushed
forward and it is only through the goodwill of people such as myself
that there has not been a total collapse of the system.
Yes, there are lessons to be learnt, but while our political masters
are happy to sit in ivory towers and preach about things they know nothing
about, our health service will continue to deteriorate, devouring even
greater amounts of money.
Geoff Gardener
Hartlepool,
Cleveland
Give the oxygen delivery service back to pharmacy
From Mr D. Taylor, MRPharmS, and Mrs S. Glass, MRPharmS
Why do we not seize the opportunity to give back to community pharmacists
that which should never have been taken away, namely, the domiciliary oxygen
supply service?
After the expected chaos from the transition, there will presumably be
many hours spent on debriefs and monitoring to find out what went wrong.
Will the new service continue to be monitored with patient satisfaction
surveys and cost monitoring? We doubt it, for this might give answers that
our leaders do not want to hear.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the National Pharmacy Association and
the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee should take a lead in
making sure that the option to revert to a patient oxygen delivery service
which worked stays open.
Oxygen patients are often elderly confused people. They should not have
to deal direct with Air Products et al. As professional pharmacists we
are aware of patients’ individual needs and we are in a far better
position to fulfil their care than an anonymous supplier situated miles
away demanding data protection and a home oxygen order form while the patient
gasps for air.
The decision to take oxygen delivery away from pharmacies was a bad one.
Those who feel this way should contact their local pharmaceutical committee
and urge action.
Denis Taylor
Sheila Glass
Swindon,
Wiltshire |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal