World Pharmacist Day is designed to allow us to recognise the contributions that Pharmacists make in patient care.

Here at HealthNet, we have an amazing team of Pharmacists who play a vital role in ensuring our patients receive safe and effective medicines, making a significant impact on people’s lives.

We decided to interview our Superintendent Pharmacist, Sue Lee, our Deputy Superintendent Pharmacist, Manraj Mander, and our Lead Pharmacist, Lucy Ward, to help us get to grips with the fascinating world of pharmacy and the crucial role it plays in global health.

What is your role at HealthNet Homecare and what does it involve?

Sue: “I am the Superintendent Pharmacist. This is a regulatory role in that I am accountable for the quality and standards of every aspect of the pharmacy services provided by HealthNet.”

Manni: “I am the Deputy Superintendent Pharmacist, a newly created role to support the growing business. My role is to lead compliance, patient care and colleague development.”

Lucy: “I am the Lead Pharmacist at HealthNet Homecare. I am responsible for managing the Pharmacy Team, keeping them up to date with any developments, and training and supporting them in their role. Pharmacists are responsible for clinically screening all prescriptions to ensure dosage is appropriate and safe for every individual patient and to also ensure prescriptions are legally valid and compliant with regulations.”

What inspired you into this role?

Sue: “I had previously worked in the office of the Superintendent of a large multiple pharmacy organisation, but also, I also like the mix of strategic thinking as well as being close to the day-to-day working operation of our pharmacy. This allows me to continue to use my clinical and professional knowledge and training.”

Manni: “For me , the ability to make a difference is why I decided to become a Pharmacist and this remains at the centre of everything I do. Having worked in the Clinical Homecare sector for over two years as a pharmacist, I was keen to take up a role that allowed me to apply the skills and knowledge gained throughout my career to better influence our customer, patient and colleague priorities.”

Lucy: “I was inspired to become a Pharmacist through my love of science and my interest in healthcare and medication. I worked previously in community pharmacy but then, wishing to develop my career, I joined HealthNet Homecare for a more clinically challenging role. My desire to pursue further development and responsibility led to me becoming the Lead Pharmacist when the opportunity became available, and I am enjoying being involved in operational meetings and learning more about the business as a whole.”

Why is the role of a Pharmacist so important in improving global health?

Sue: “As more and more medicines become available, people are living longer and finding themselves on multiple medicines for their different conditions. Pharmacists can bring things together and help patients to ensure they get the best out of all the medicines they take, making sure they take them at the right time and separated from each other as necessary. This in turn keeps more people well and active for longer, thus improving the quality of life for all.”

Manni: “For a long time, Pharmacists have been an underutilised asset in the healthcare system. However, it is promising to see things are changing, with more diverse roles pharmacists really are at the forefront of clinical decision-making, delivering the best patient care and tackling health inequalities in the communities we work in.”

Lucy: “A phrase that has stuck with me since university is “pharmacists are experts in medication” and are uniquely trained to understand pharmacologically why medication is effective, to advise on administration and why it is important to take correctly. Pharmacists are also trained in minor ailments and are an excellent first port of call for many patients. This has been recognised through their inclusion in GP surgeries and with the recent pharmacy’s first service in community pharmacy, relieving the pressure on GPs and the NHS. Our team of Pharmacists at HealthNet Homecare are trained on every medication we provide and are available to provide advice to patients when required.”

What safety measures does HealthNet take to adhere to compliance and patient safety?

Sue: “As with all registered pharmacies, HealthNet has a Responsible Pharmacist on site and available at all times when our pharmacies are open. For us now, this is 7am to 7pm Mon-Fri and 8am – 5pm on Saturdays. The Responsible Pharmacist is part of a team of Pharmacists at each pharmacy who review every single homecare prescription we receive for its accuracy, completeness and suitability using our professional training and pharmaceutical expertise. We act as the final Healthcare Professional pair of eyes on a prescription before a medicine is issued to a patient. We take this gatekeeping responsibility very seriously.”

Manni: “HealthNet takes compliance and patient safety very seriously by ensuring it is at the forefront of every decision we make. We have a robust internal process to investigate incidents and complaints, allowing us all to take reflective action in continually improving patient care.”

Pharmacist people and paper bag for medicine store

What do you do if something goes wrong with a medication?

Manni: “Errors unfortunately can occur, but it is what we learn from these events and the changes we make through reflection that is key to ensuring they do not happen again. As Deputy Superintendent Pharmacist, I not only investigate serious incidents but also ensure the quality of our reporting and investigations is reflective of the standards the company expects.”

Lucy: “Despite all the procedures put in place to prevent errors sometimes they can still occur. The General Pharmaceutical Council has standards that all pharmacy professionals are required to meet, the first of these being to provide person-centred care which means making the patient our priority. Therefore, when something does go wrong from a pharmacist’s perspective, our priority is to ensure that the patient is safe, and then correct the error. Following this, the incident will be fully investigated to understand how the error occurred and to ensure it does not happen again. “

What do you enjoy most about your role at HealthNet?

Sue: “I look forward to coming to work every day. No two days are the same and it’s good to be a part of resolving challenges as they arise. Clinical Homecare is something of a Cinderella branch of pharmacy, but I am pleased to play my role in ensuring the profile of Homecare continues to be raised within the profession and more widely with the public as well.”

Lucy: “I thoroughly enjoy working for HealthNet Homecare. Every day I learn something new, such as a new medication or orphan drug being made available for a rare disease. Clinical homecare is an exciting sector to work in as a Pharmacist, it often feels like working at the forefront of medical innovation. I see prescriptions for a range of different conditions every single day, from fertility prescriptions to medication to treat blood disorders and to oncology prescriptions.”

How does the role of a Homecare Pharmacist provide extended career opportunities for Pharmacists?

Manni: “Homecare is a rapidly growing sector of pharmacy and there are a range of roles available depending on experience and personal choice. Clinical Pharmacists are at the forefront of service delivery, some often specialise in particular therapies such as cancer services. There are also compliance and patient safety roles such as Superintendent Pharmacist and leadership roles such as Lead Pharmacist.”

Lucy: “Prior to joining HealthNet Homecare, I had never heard of clinical homecare. Having now worked here for almost three years, I can clearly see the massive impact homecare has for patients’ experience and the NHS in money and time saved. I would love there to be more recognition for the sector and for future Pharmacists to be aware of the career possibilities as a homecare Pharmacist, as I believe the sector, and HealthNet, is only going to continue growing!”

Thank You

On behalf of everyone here at HealthNet, we would like to say a huge thank you to each and every Pharmacist working to make a difference within healthcare.

To find out more about HealthNet Homecare and the services we offer click here.