Pharmacy team recognised for substance misuse services
Suzi Dixon, pharmacist manager at Healthcare Plus Pharmacy’s
Bedlington Station branch, supervising Rita McCloud and Darren Hutchinson
taking their treatment |
A community pharmacy team has been awarded first prize in the Northumberland Care Trust Good Practice Awards 2005 for its substance misuse services.
Staff at Healthcare Plus Pharmacy’s Bedlington Station branch were
awarded “Team of the year” in recognition of the quality
and range of substance misuse services provided at the pharmacy.
The team are proactive in getting to know patients and regularly signpost
them to other services to help with financial and housing problems. A
confidential needle exchange scheme is available in a separate part of
the pharmacy, which can also be used for supervised consumption of methadone.
A weekly nurse-led clinic allows patients to receive hepatitis B vaccinations
in the pharmacy.
Gill Fraser, joint acting chief executive of the care trust, said: “This
is an inspirational team. The judges were impressed by the sheer commitment
and caring from a group of people who recognised the potential beyond
simply dispensing and supervising.” |
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