Introduction to Pharmacy Placements
At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our pharmacy department is innovating and growing to meet the needs of the region. Our staff comprise pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and assistant technical officers working together to ensure that the right medicines are available to clinical areas at the right time and that medicines are individualised to meet the needs of patients. Safety is of paramount concern and we work hard to ensure that the 3600 different medicines handled in the Trust are used to their best advantage without causing harm.
The pharmacy team carry out work in a wide variety of areas including wards, clean rooms and even home visits to patients requiring additional support with their medicines in the community. We offer placements to pharmacy students at two sites: Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital and Burnley General Teaching Hospital. These are an opportunity for enthusiastic students to gain a better understanding of hospital pharmacy and develop their knowledge during their undergraduate studies.
The pharmacy team carry out work in a wide variety of areas including wards, clean rooms and even home visits to patients requiring additional support with their medicines in the community. We offer placements to pharmacy students at two sites: Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital and Burnley General Teaching Hospital. These are an opportunity for enthusiastic students to gain a better understanding of hospital pharmacy and develop their knowledge during their undergraduate studies.
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We provide university-organised placements during term time as well as summer placements for students organised in conjunction with the student directly. University-organised placements cover a timetable that varies based upon the requirements of the university. Summer placements can be arranged by contacting the educational lead for the pharmacy department (see the key contacts page). We aim to provide summer students with a programme that gives them an experience across all aspects of the pharmacy service. Although it may not be possible to cover every area, some of the key facets of the pharmacy service included in the summer placements are listed below:
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Procurement and stock control
Meeting the pharmaceutical supply needs of a large and varied set of clinical environments requires co-ordination from the pharmacy procurement and stock management team. Pharmacy stores at Burnley General and Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospitals use electronic medicines management software and highly trained staff to maintain supplies of thousands of medicinal products. Dispensary Pharmacy technicians lead the inpatient dispensaries at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital and Burnley General Teaching Hospital. Technicians, assistant technical officers and pharmacists work together to help ensure the safe usage of medicines and that they get to the right place at the right time. |
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Medicines information
Our medicines information office provides expert technical and clinical advice to enquirers from across East Lancashire, finding reliable information on a wide variety of topics with high quality resources in order to support evidenced-based medicine. Aseptic preparation of medicines The Central Intravenous Additive Service at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital uses a rigorously controlled clean room environment to prepare some of the highest-risk intravenous products used at the trust in an aseptic manner, minimising risk to our patients. Within the aseptic service we prepare a range of products: from intravenous antibiotics for premature babies to bespoke total parenteral nutrition for neonatal and adult patients. Wards At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust we have been building upon our innovative and award-winning ‘Dedicated Ward Pharmacy’ service. Pharmacists are present at ward-level to provide pharmaceutical expertise and co-ordinate supply of medicines for inpatients and to ensure safe and effective continuity of supply when patients are discharged from our care. This includes a consistent presence on consultant-led ward rounds in order to optimise pharmaceutical care and make sure that medicines are available at the right place at the right time. The team cover both medical and surgical wards in addition to rapid assessment areas. For further details please check the key contacts page to get in touch with the training and education team. |
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