nvq3

[krisi]

Hey All,
Just a general email. Hows everyone getting on with their courses, everything going okay? what u all getting up to now? I am on unit 9 and appear to have coem to a standstill. Does anyone else find this happens in between. I completed the case studies a while ago but my brain seems to have turned to mush with the revision. It must be, but it just doesnt seem to be sticking in my head this time round. I have been learning it on and off for weeks. I done well so far with other modules but goodness knows whats going on this mod. Im hoping to get this and the next unit done before mid july- i think i might be being a little optimistic lol!

[Bellalouise]

Hiya, the nvq is hard going but stick with it. I got to a point in the 2nd year where I'd had a gutsful of it and some of the units are a nightmare to complete, even my pharmacist was confused over some things! I got there in the end though and when my certificate came through the relief was overwhelming. I'm an ACT now and the nvq has definitely benefited me in the role. Good luck xx

[krisi]

Hey Bellalouise, thanks for the encouragement - i will keep that in mind when i feel like screaming i think it just gets a bit monotonous in between and then trying to keep it in ur heads a bit hard sometimes. My pharmacist wouldn't have a clue haha, the few things I have asked she looks at me like u what. Like you say, hopefully it will be worth it in the end. How u finding being an ACT- would u recommend it, I was aiming for that but we will see. cheers for the good luck x

[Bellalouise]

I only qualified as ACT two weeks ago so it's all pretty new to me. I did my first bit of checking this week and it was strange to be signing the initial box and bagging it up! I really enjoyed it. The ACT course is like a walk in the park! It's nothing compared to the NVQ. It took me three months to do and was a pleasure, nothing in-depth. I checked 1000 items without missing an error and then went on to do the exam. It's a lovely course, nothing at all like the NVQ. I only had to write a few sentences to answer the questions and there's only about 10 questions in the whole course! You have a review with your tutor pharmacist at 4 weeks, 8 weeks and then a final one at 12 weeks. They just look at your checking log and the errors (if any) you've picked up on and make sure you're finding it all ok. It does take a while to get the dispensary used to having an ACT because the ACT can't have anything to do with the dispensing process (labelling, dispensing), you have to do the final accuracy check only. In our pharmacy the pharmacist clinically checks a pile of prescriptions, labels them then stamps it with the ACT stamp, the dispensers will dispense it then put it in the checking area for me to check it. I love my job and would definitely recommend it. I have a lovely team and they're very supportive. You'll need that support to get it up and running. They see me as a supervisor, they all really respect me and come to me for guidance which is nice but I work hard, I still label, dispense, serve, clean and put the goods away. You need to have enough staff for it to work, I won't be checking all the time because we won't always have enough staff but then I wouldn't want to check all the time anyway because I like dispensing and doing other bits and pieces. Do you have any plans for how you'd do the ACT job should you go for it?

[krisi]

Congrats on qualifying as an ACT two weeks ago- I bet you were well chuffed Must be good to have a fresh challenge as well. I haven't looked into being an ACT yet but it is something that I will think about when I complete the technicians course if that ever happens hehe. I think my boss already has that plan in mind for me and my colleague!
I bet it was weird taking some of the responsibility of checking things- Have you had ACTs at your place before- we never have at ours up to now but then I dont think they had technicians before but two of us are completing our courses for it.
Did you have to go to another pharmacy to do the checking course or could you do it were you are based. It was a few years ago but one of my colleagues at a different place to where i work had to go elsewhere altho thinking about it, it may have just been for the exam. I cant really remember as it was a while ago.
Its good that your place is supportive of your new role. I can't help wondering that if my boss sends me to do the ACT course (As much as I think I would enjoy it etc) that it may be put to waste. You could say she would waste her time and money sending me on the course but they dont seem to bother. I don't think they would allow us to do it in the end really annd rahter put us on it to show they are letting us advance our training etc if that makes sense. That aside our place is run on alot of locums so that maybe risky too. However I would like to do the course for my own development and it might open new doors if I decide to move at any point.
My bosses have been going on about extra responsibilities for us all for the last twelve months and as yet nothing has happened lotsa laughs!
And like you said in ur note the staffing might be an issue in terms of us being on limited staff but things might change by the time i do it. Are you working in community pharmacy? Like yourself I would prob prefer to do a bit of everything if I do and qualify as an ACT- I enjoy dispensing and all the other jobs associated with it, the customer interaction etc but would be good to do checking in between too.

[Bellalouise]

I did the course in work but had to go away twice, the first time to a 2 day ACT training course where they explain the role and how to check and the second time for my exam. We've had a few locums recently as well but they've all been supportive of my role and didn't mind checking behind me, it's all about building trust really. Are the locums who come to you completely new or do the same ones tend to get sent to you? I love the ACT role, it would open more doors. I'm staying put though, I'm happy enough! You'll find being a registered technician is more responsible than being a dispenser. You'll have to do CPD and follow the code of ethics. How much longer have you got left on your NVQ course? I'm in community pharmacy, how about you? I hear hospital pharmacy is well-paid and has all sorts of different roles and responsibilities but I like it where I am

[cassie01]

hi. i hope someone out there can help as i'm almost ready to send off unit 2 and 4 together.as i am going over it to see if everythings ok i still haven't come up with a "recent" product recall. the last one i have is january for polident, has anyone any advice on anything more recent, regards and thanks cassie x

[tinx25388]

The most recent one I saw was a company one about Metoclopramide pre-packs,but that was company specific. Think there was a more recent one about Gabapentin. Try looking on the MHRA website and search for "recall"

[cassie01]

thanks very much for your help, i will check this out, regards cassie x.

[amanda harding]

hi. i hope someone out there can help as i'm almost ready to send off unit 2 and 4 together.as i am going over it to see if everythings ok i still haven't come up with a "recent" product recall. the last one i have is january for polident, has anyone any advice on anything more recent, regards and thanks cassie x

hi cassie
there was a drug recall on the 2nd june for GABAPENTIN 100MG CAPSULES, Pack size 100 Batch number 2037862 Expiry date may 2011
Ranbaxy (uk) limited is recalling all unused stock of the above batch because the patient information leaflet has not been updated to include safety warnings initiated by the European Medicines Agency.
Pharmacists were asked to quarantine all stock and return it to the wholesaler from which it was purchased

hope this helps