Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain Support Staff Training Programme Medicines Counter Assistant Course, Mediapharm Report of an accreditation event, 22 June 2010 1. Introduction The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) is the statutory regulator for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. It is also the accrediting body for pharmacy education in Great Britain. This document is a final report of an accreditation event held on 22 June 2010 2. The accreditation team The RPSGB accreditation team comprised: Name Mrs Barbara Wensworth* Mrs Sylvia Hikins Mrs Catherine Davies Designation at the time of visit Accreditation Team Leader, Teacher-practitioner, Bradford College, hospital pharmacist. Accreditation Team member (Lay), Member of RPSGB Council Accreditation Team Member (Support staff), past member of RPSGB Support Staff Advisory Group. along with: Name Ms Joanne Martin* Ms Philippa Strevens Designation at the time of visit Accreditation and Recognition Manager, RPSGB Senior Accreditation Administrator and Assistant to the Head of Education and Quality Assurance, RPSGB (rapporteur) 3. The event The training provider submitted copies of its application documentation in line with the agreed timescales and a pre-event was subsequently held on the 7 May 2010. At the pre-event the accreditation team (the team) advised the training provider that there were several areas which would need further attention and requested that documentation was resubmitted before the accreditation event. The accreditation team had concerns over the language used in the course module documents, the content of the assessments and assessment procedures and the role of the tutor and the support available to them. Upon receipt of updated documentation, the accreditation event was scheduled to take place on 22 June 2010. This document is a record of the accreditation event.
4. Commentary The training programme meets the Society s requirements applying to this programme and is at the required academic level. Adequate academic and management structures are in place. Resources to support the delivery of the training programme are adequate The accreditation team was satisfied that the course was appropriately mapped to the required content and taught at the correct level. A number of wording inaccuracies were noted to be present within the assessments and learning materials. The accreditation team advised that it would be a condition of accreditation that the materials underwent a further review and that final versions be provided to the Society for approval before dissemination to trainees. The team had some concerns regarding the academic rigour of the assessment process and advised that a further review be undertaken by suitably qualified person external to the provider. The outcome of this review must be documented and actioned and sent to the Society. All the resources criteria are met. 5. Conclusions and recommendations The team agreed to recommend to the Society s Education Committee that MediaPharm should be accredited to deliver a Medicines Counter Assistant Course for a full period of 3 years. There are 2 conditions related to this accreditation: 1. Appoint an independent expert in assessment to review your assessment processes. Particularly to cover the following areas: - Quality Assurance - Factual accuracy - Wording of questions - Structure of MCQ questions - Number of questions in bank - Recording of case study outcomes - Audit (This condition relates to criteria 1d and 2a) A report of this review along with a plan of how you will meet the outcomes of this review, must be submitted to the Accreditation and Recognition Manager for approval before dissemination 2. You must submit all completed modules in their completed format to the Accreditation and Recognition Manager for approval before they are disseminated (This condition relates to criterion 1a). The Accreditation Team also makes the following recommendations: 1. To revisit the wording in your examination regulations. 2. Improve the signposting of other standard operating procedures that learners may encounter. The team commended the provider on the progress they had made since the pre-event. 2
The full record includes other comments from the team and the Society regards the record in its entirety as its formal view on provision. Providers are required to take all comments into account as part of the accreditation process. The provider was reminded of the following: 1. The accreditation team s recommendation is not binding on the Society s Education Committee and the Committee may add, remove or modify points on reflection and in light of members views; 2. The Society s record and report will be sent to the provider shortly to comment on factual accuracy; 3. All accredited course providers are required to inform the Society annually of changes to the curriculum and/or resources. 4. The providers must respond to the definitive version of the report within three months of receipt. 5. Each year after accreditation providers must provide an annual report. 6. The Society is in the process of demerging into a professional leadership body and a regulator, the General Pharmaceutical Council. The Council will assume responsibility for the regulation of pharmacy education some time in 2010. The date is yet to be agreed but when it is known, you will be informed as soon as possible. Before that the GPhC will be operating in shadow form but will not have a statutory responsibility for the regulation of pharmacy education. The Pharmacy Order, the legislation establishing the GPhC as regulator, states that the GPhC will accept the decisions of the Society. In this context, that means the accreditation decisions of the Society will stand. Please note that the accreditation team s feedback is confidential until it has been ratified by Education Committee. Other matters The accreditation process Either party may withdraw from the accreditation process at any time. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society will not withdraw unless it has good reason to do so: specifically, if it has evidence the conditions of accreditation are not being met. Meeting conditions includes meeting the preconditions for accreditation, meeting the prerequisites for accreditation, meeting the generic criteria for accreditation and complying with specific conditions imposed as part of an accreditation event. Accreditation Department Regulation Directorate Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain 1 Lambeth High Street London SE1 7JN accreditation@rpsgb.org Following the above accreditation event satisfactory evidence was provided to meet the above conditions of accreditation. The programme was subsequently approved for accreditation by the Society s Education Committee in September 2010 for a period of three years. 3
Medicines Counter Assistant course criteria Accreditation criteria The training programme meets the Society s requirements applying to this programme and is at the required academic level. The course content covers the knowledge and understanding associated with units 2.04 and 2.05 of the Pharmacy Services S/NVQ level 2. The programme is taught at national qualifications framework level 2. The programme is planned with reference to the Medicines Counter Assistant template. Assessments have been developed by subject experts from the Pharmacy sector and directly relate to modules contained in the syllabus for the Medicines Counter Assistant template. Adequate academic and management structures are in place. Assessment process and strategies assure appropriate standards in assessment and that students are able to demonstrate fitness for purpose. In the processes of programme review and development, the training provider has taken account of advances in pharmacy practice, for instance recent POM to P reclassifications, and developments potentially impacting on pharmacy Course regulations include procedures for appeals against assessment decisions Course regulations include procedures for dealing with suspected plagiarism and/or malpractice Resources to support the delivery of the training programme are adequate. Buildings, human, equipment, and other resources available to the training provider are sufficient for the effective delivery of the course to the numbers of students on the course, and overall. Record keeping systems are able to generate data on candidates completing, completion rates, student sector of practise and disability. Systems are in place for issuing certificates of completion to successful students in the Society s approved format There is an appropriate mix of tutors, mentors and assessors. The student has access to a personal tutor or tutors for academic guidance and pastoral care. The student is instructed in the use of information resources. There are adequate student feedback mechanisms in place. The training provider seeks to provide the student with a positive learning experience. The syllabus and outcomes criteria Unit 2.04 Assist in the Sale of OTC medicines and provide information to customers on symptoms and products The student must be able to show they know and understand The importance of the pharmacy protocol on the sale of medicines and SOPs, what is listed in them, how to use them and why it is important that they should be followed at all times. The main actions and side effects of the active ingredients used in non-prescription medicines The differences between General Sales Medicines (GSL), Pharmacy (P) and Prescription Only 4
Medicines (POM) items The legal responsibility and authority of the pharmacist and others in the organisation The use of Questioning techniques such as 2WHAM Understanding the needs of different types of customers What sources of information to use, what information to give the customer and what types of information/advice should be supplied by the pharmacist Legal and ethical requirements for confidentiality Unit 2.05 Assist in the Supply of Prescribed Items The student must be able to show they know and understand The limits of their own authority and when to refer to a pharmacist or pharmacy technician. The importance of maintaining dispensary records including the use of the dispensary computer. The current relevant ethical and legal requirements that govern the dispensing and issuing of a prescription. That some clients will have special needs and how you would deal with them. Receive prescriptions SOPs for receiving prescriptions and reasons for following them. Exactly what patient details are required on a prescription and why they are necessary. Current prescription charges, exemptions and how clients can claim refunds, including the use of official forms and prepayment certificates. Procedures for dealing with clients who have special needs e.g. those who are blind, deaf, clients with urgent prescriptions, mothers with young children etc. Current legislation relating to prescription charges and exemptions. The different types of prescriptions and when they are used. The transactional and administration procedures as required by government regulations and those that apply to their workplace. Issue prescribed items The procedures and principles for issuing prescribed items and local SOPs that relate to this. The procedures for the delivery of prescribed items and the local SOPs that relate to this. Why it is important to confirm the client s identity. Why it is important to provide information on the storage of prescribed items. 5