Volunteer Pharmacy Run Policy

This policy has been created by the Volunteering team at Barts Health NHS Trust.

Volunteer guidelines for picking up TTA*’s

Introduction:

Voluntary Services is introducing a new service Active Response volunteers. The aim of this role is to ensure that volunteers are responding to areas of high demand and that volunteer assistance is directed to where it is most needed.

With the introduction of this service, staff on our wards can bleep message one of the volunteer runners to get their assistance with picking up medications from the Pharmacy team. The service is expected to make a big contribution to helping towards safe patient discharge, allowing essential prescription medicines, and other items that patients may need before being discharged, to be quickly picked up from our Pharmacy and returned to busy ward staff. This in turn supports an enhanced patient experience.

How the service works:

1. To contact a volunteer the member of staff requiring the TTO/A including pharmacy staff will need to bleep or ring the volunteer offices so that we can alert a volunteer for pick up. Please note that volunteers will introduce themselves at the start of the shift and give you their bleep number

2. The bleep will be documented and a volunteer sent to the pharmacy to pick up the medication

3. The volunteer will sign for each medication pack and the sheet will be kept by pharmacy

4. The volunteer will then take it to the relevant ward as indicated on the medication plastic wallet

5. The ward Staff Nurse, or Senior Nurse will sign for the medication once received from the volunteer. Please note that only staff nurses and senior nurses can sign for the medication

6. The volunteer will check the signatory’s badge to ensure name corresponds with signature

7. The signed sheets will be returned to the volunteer office and kept on record

Conditions and governance:

· All Medications must be given in a sealed bag and signed for by the volunteer at the pharmacy

· No Class A Controlled drugs to be handled by volunteers unless permission is given by Lead Pharmacist

· Please note that all volunteers are vetted including DBS checks, Occupational Health and references. All volunteers complete statutory mandatory training and class room based training to support this role

Note: TTA stands for ‘To Take Away’ and is referring to the medication that needs to be collected as part of the discharge process.