Boots The Chemist ACT hourly rate

[Shaeeb]

An ACT is lucky to get paid 10/hr for checking prescriptions and having no accountability on their heads for mistakes made. Rather the Pharmacist on the premises is accountable for mistakes made by ACTs.

As a locum Pharmacist I wouldn't like to use the skills of an ACT simply due to the fact that they are not accountable for the mistakes they may make.

Doing a job that they take no responsibility over, lovely jubbly.

The society should amend this and have them be accountable for any checking they do, even if it is just accuracy checking.

[bobbin]

An ACT is lucky to get paid 10/hr for checking prescriptions and having no accountability on their heads for mistakes made

Perhaps you should become an ACT.

Doing a job that they take no responsibility over, lovely jubbly.
The society should amend this and have them be accountable for any checking they do, even if it is just accuracy checking.

OK, so how much should ACTs be paid if they assume absolute legal responsibility for all of their checking? And what role do you see for yourself in the future when fewer locums are required?

[Shaeeb]

I wouldn't mind utilising my clinical skills a bit more :-)

Possibly would like to see the extension of clinical services provided by pharmacists in the future.

To top it off adopting a similar Pharmaceutical healthcare model to America would be ideal.

Refer to Linda Strand, British Pharmaceutical Conference 2008 (I think).

I don't think fewer locums will be required too soon...long way to go yet. Especially when supermarkets are opening pharmacies like mad.

We'll have to see what future holds.

[johnep]

Also to be considered is that large numbers of older pharmacists like me will be leaving at the end of the year.
johnep

[bobbin]

I wouldn't mind utilising my clinical skills a bit more :-)

What sort of things would you like to do?

Many of the services offered at the moment (eg. smoking cessation) are not particularly appropriate for pharmacists because they are not directly related to pharmacists knowledge of medication. This type of service is probably more appropriate for healthcare assistants at the surgery.

[sammiek]

An ACT is lucky to get paid 10/hr for checking prescriptions and having no accountability on their heads for mistakes made. Rather the Pharmacist on the premises is accountable for mistakes made by ACTs.

As a locum Pharmacist I wouldn't like to use the skills of an ACT simply due to the fact that they are not accountable for the mistakes they may make.

Doing a job that they take no responsibility over, lovely jubbly.

The society should amend this and have them be accountable for any checking they do, even if it is just accuracy checking.

If companies do not wish to pay ACT's they should just use pharmacists to check all their care home buisness and PCS- I'm sure they'd save a lot of money that way. If I was paid any less I would just work as a dispenser

[PtitpupUK]

Well hopefully in a few years time ACTs will get a bit more recognition... after all, the way companies make it sound like they're there to do the pharmacist's dirty job so that it frees time so that pharmacists can do MURs, services etc (hum hum ! Wasn't really the result in my place but hey...).
Well we're not a bunch of stupid people who just compare drug to prescription and label to prescription. I am sure I am not the only one to take my job seriously, and yes, ok I haven't been to uni to get a pharmacy degree, but I still have a certain degree of knowledge and I can still use it !
I do happen to spot things. Today I got a Rx for an 85 year old person. 4 pages of drugs. On one, atenolol 100mg 1om - on the other atenolol 50mg 1om (new drug). On checking with drug database on computer, and then with pharmacist, we decided to enquire with the surgery. GP confirmed patient was going down to 50mg. But there he was potentially taking 150mg. The Rxs went through clinical check, the dispenser who labelled missed signalling the new drug, the person who dispensed didn't query the two strengths either. I am not saying the pharmacist wouldn't have spotted it if he'd checked the prescription, I am pretty sure he would have. But I did too, credit to the ACT. I have also had patient on triptafen + amitriptyline (when GP had temporarily changed to triptafen when fentazin was out of stock but kept the amitriptyline on the Rx), daily dose of colchicine etc etc None of this would be fatal, anyway I wouldn't know, but when checked with the GP I was right to spot those things and check them.
Sometimes I spot things that have been going on for ages...e.g. a dry powder inhaler when an evohaler had been dispensed, and that potentially other pharmacists have missed (nevermind the usual label errors as well, however minor).
So I really hope that ACTs will get more credit in the future. They can be like a fresh pair of eyes. And somehow I don't believe for a second that if I make a mistake and something happens I won't get in the poo-poo. Ok yes, the pharmacist is still responsible for me. But I expect I will be in trouble too, I am not sure how it stands as far as the law is concerned. But please stop thinking that we ACTs hide behind that and therefore don't really care about what we do...

[PtitpupUK]

And apart from all that... there are other things involved... under Health and Safety we all have a duty of care. I am not sure where we'd stand but I am sure if I recommended something over the counter and it went wrong I could as well be sued because it was MY decision (OK maybe the pharmacist would get some problems too). Have there never been any cases of dispensing errors going to court and the technician/dispenser not being blamed as well?

[Rafael]

I am not sure how it stands as far as the law is concerned.

the min ACTs become legally responsible for their dispensing errors, the min no pharmacists would mind working with ACTs. how can you be an ACT, and not be aware of the current law? would you be happy to be responsible for a mistake if another ACT dispensing error, reaching the patient?

i hope that clarifies some stuff for you
regards

[dizzyb23]

I luv your postings Ptitpup....you are clearly a great and dedicated ACT. I'm not sure why there is some negativity towards ACTs. I'm just starting my training for this and it seems as though the role is still a supporting one to the Pharmacist. And i'm positive the law will change with reference to responsibility. It isn't right that the Pharmacist has to take the wrap for someone else's mistakes.