Ashtons Hospital Pharmacy Services, the UK’s leading provider of specialist pharmacy services to independent healthcare providers, is delighted to announce a new partnership with St Joseph’s Hospice, the largest and one of the oldest hospices in the UK, commencing on 1st April 2021. St Joseph’s Hospice was founded by the Sisters of Charity who came…
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Advance planning for flu vaccination clinics has become an important part of patient care. The flu vaccination delivered in the following year provides vulnerable patients with protection against the strands of flu that are going to be the most prevalent over the next year. This is even more important this year, as hospitals deal with…
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Looking back on my emails, I see that my first COVID-related message came in on 3rd March. At first, it was impossible to judge the impact the virus was going to have on our healthcare system and hospices. The shocking lack of their inclusion in the two essential components – PPE and testing – soon became apparent. Many of our senior hospice colleagues have described how they had to ‘fight’ for what was needed –on top of caring for very sick patients who may or may not have the virus and staff having to isolate for the statutory period…
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For many years the NHS has struggled to fulfil the NHS Out of Hours (OOH) standards that stated ‘patients should be able to access the medicines they need at the time and place of the OOH consultation’. The Drug Tariff, which determines the list of products which can be prescribed on FP10 and their re-imbursement costs, still includes a rather dated ‘Out of Hours national formulary’ which categorises a wide range of medications for emergencies which include palliative care…
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The pandemic has made it difficult for hospices to arrange training and there has been less demand for Ashtons pharmacists to present seminars at sites. Consequently, Ashtons is now able to make seminar presentations available via online platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, meaning that all available staff with online access can participate in the training, without having to meet up in a room together…
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Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a national drive to increase the uptake of flu vaccinations, to reduce pressure on the NHS. Healthcare staff and people with certain health risk factors are the current focus for flu vaccination and this list may be expanded to include other people at risk. Ashtons have placed advance orders of the flu vaccine with suppliers for the 2020/21 winter season, but will endeavour to obtain further quantities if there is a demand…
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Ashtons have commenced supplying all fridge lines in the environmentally friendly fridge boxes in place of the polystyrene boxes previously used. The replacement fridge boxes are manufactured from wood pulp, together with the insulation inserts, and are therefore biodegradable and, being a paper-based product, fully recyclable. The coolant packs, which are used to keep the fridge box between 2°C and 8°C, are made from a low-density polyethylene (LDPE 4) pouch. The contents of the coolant pack consist of an aqueous (water-based) gel…
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The concerns presented by COVID-19, and the need to prevent its spread within hospitals, has forced many customers to put critical face-to-face life support and mandatory training on hold. The balancing act now is keeping up with statutory and mandatory requirements while simultaneously adhering to social distancing, restrictions on the gathering of groups and keeping everyone safe. While the HSE did allow extension times on the expiry of first aid certificates, the first aid training industry in England is confident that enough courses…
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We are currently living in extraordinary times, but please rest assured we are doing all that we can to adapt to the situation, maintain safety among our employees and ensure our clients still receive the same high quality level of support they have come to expect. Any interruption to our services, including the supply of medication, medical products and clinical advice, could increase patient safety risks. We are committed to providing continuity for our clients, while also ensuring that the health of our employees and their families remains a top priority…
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The annual influenza vaccination programme has become an important strategy for protecting public health by providing vulnerable people with immunisation against the virus strains likely to be the most prevalent over the coming year. The best time to have the vaccination is each autumn, from the beginning of October, as this will provide protection throughout winter – the riskiest time…
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