Our new fridge monitoring forms are quicker to complete and easier to use - and they should be used from this Sunday 1st September. Pharmacy will be delivering them from today (Thursday).
Tests on Ward 3 CRH and Day Surgery HRI have resulted in temperature monitoring forms being updated. Please make sure you use the new forms from Sunday:
- Ambient (air) temperatures (prepared to be used in the future)
- Fridge – Hospital/Special Schools (Pharmacy staff will deliver 6 forms for each fridge to Ward/Departments)
- Fridge – Community (Pharmacy staff will post 6 forms for each fridge)
- Freezer (Pharmacy staff will deliver 6 forms for each freezer)
- IV Fluids warmer (Pharmacy staff will deliver 6 forms for each IV fluids warmer)
Key points
- If the temperature is in the red shaded area (excluding 5), it is out of range so action must be taken and documented
- Each monitoring form outlines the process if monitoring out of range
- Contact Pharmacy for advice on medicines in a fridge/freezer/warmer if the temperature is out of range
- Contact Medical Engineering for all issues with the fridge/freezer/warmer or the monitoring device
- Out of hours - remove the medicines and quarantine in nearby medicines fridge and contact Medical Engineering and Pharmacy the next working day (more information in Medicine Code section 11)
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Changes to PharmWaste
We've been carrying out waste stream tests on Ward 5 and CCU CRH and Wards 19 and 21 HRI.
From Sunday there will be changes to how wards/departments will dispose of some of their pharmaceutical waste.
Posters have been printed to support the initiative and should be collected from pharmacy by Friday 30th August.
Posters are to be laminated by the Ward/Department and displayed where each pharmaceutical waste container is stored. To make things easier and to support the changes, each poster has pictures of what goes in each container
The updated streams will be:
- New large plastic Blue Bin
- Yellow Box - existing
- Clear bag - domestic
- Green bag – recycling
- Green Unit – returns
Key points:
- The move towards pharmaceutical waste containers stored in secure locations – behind digi locked doors
- Blue more secure plastic lidded bins will be phased in to replace the cardboard blue bio bins that are currently being
- If Wards/Departments do not yet have recycling facilities the domestic clear waste bag is to be used until purchased
- The above will all help towards reducing waste, waste disposal costs and increase recycling and the security of pharmaceutical waste and returns to Pharmacy
- Pharmaceutical waste streams not mentioned above are unaffected by these changes
- Practice will be audited after a transition period
- The Pharmacy team are available to offer support/advice
If you require any additional posters other than what has been allocated to you – just ask Pharmacy.