Loving tribute to Ellie Benbecula music courses celebrate 15th anniversary page 14
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March 2015
island news Edition 33
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& ADVERTISER
REMOTE PHARMACY SERVICE ON TRIAL IN UIST
A year-long pilot project is underway to provide selected patients registered in Benbecula and North Uist with a remote pharmacy service.
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Two pharmacists from Western Isles hospital, Stornoway have been made available, each on a part-time basis, to carry out medication reviews with patients via telephone or videolink. Evelyn Yoong and Emer Friel are the two pharmacists selected to provide care and advice during the £62,000 trial. Emer’s job at the Western Isles Hospital is split 50/50 between specialist clinical pharmacist and antimicrobial pharmacist. She is a qualified independent prescriber with a special interest in cardiology and respiratory conditions. Evelyn is a clinical pharmacist for NHS
Western Isles. She is currently completing her independent prescriber qualification with Robert Gordon University and has a special interest in diabetes. They remain based in Stornoway to carry out Pharmacist Emer Friel. the consultations. Letters have been sent to patients with complex medical needs to invite them to take part in the trial.
The patients then arrange an appointment via their GP practice. The consultation is carried out either by telephone from the patient’s home, or by video conference in the GP practice. The Uist community mobilised two years ago against an attempt by an independent pharmacy to set up in Balivanich. This pilot is part of the Scottish Government’s ‘Prescription for Excellence’ action plan whose objective is to ensure all patients, regardless of their age and where they live, receive high quality pharmaceutical care using the clinical skills of pharmacists.
This will help ensure they get the best possible outcomes from their medicines, and avoid harm and waste. Dr Kate Dawson of Benbecula Medical Practice said: “The policy is to explore innovative ways of providing pharmacy services for patients in remote rural areas. This will test how far the technology can go and how comfortable patients are with it. “Many patients on multiple prescriptions are old and frail, and they will be able to talk to a pharmacist about their medication and any issues they may have with it from their own homes.”
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