Page 44 - rp-may-2020

with mental health first aid training, or be
connected to further assistance, include:
• Any spoken intention of self-harm –
eg, ‘I can’t cope anymore’, or ‘No one
would care if I was gone’, or ‘There’s
no point in life’, or ‘Everyone would be
better off without me’.
• Significant changes in mood
or appearance.
• Signs of distress, such as tears or
someone being visibly upset, voices
being raised, or someone pacing or
not wanting to sit still.
• Any concern that the person may
become violent.
Manage workflow effectively
Unpredictable workloads can make
planning difficult and contribute to
workplace stress. Effective communication
between front-of-shop staff, dispensary
staff and customers will resolve most
situations. Using a system that prioritises
prescriptions and highlights prioritised
items allows staff to see at a glance how
many prescriptions are in the queue.
If the workload has become high,
ensure patients are aware of delays.
Communicate realistic waiting times to
patients and ensure that everyone in the
pharmacy knows what these are.
Inefficient workflow design and
dispensary layouts may contribute to
workplace stress and decrease dispensary
efficiency. Managers and owners should
re-evaluate workspaces and workflows
regularly, especially in changing
environments. Re-evaluation should also
occur when a new service is introduced,
such as flu vaccination, to establish the
impact of additional tasks.
Addressing staffing levels
• Redeploy staff. Have dispensary
technicians or dispensary assistants
complete technical aspects of
dispensing while pharmacists attend to
professional aspects.
• Have a flexible staff roster to ensure
staff mix is correct.
• Develop a crisis plan to cover
unplanned staff absenteeism.
• Temporarily withdraw non-essential
professional services if necessary.
• Arrange appointments for
essential services.
• Communicate to customers when you’re
short-staffed and that services may be
unavailable during this time or wait times
may be longer.
Recovery periods
Encourage staff to take adequate rest
breaks, and ensure they have the
opportunity for this. Staff may also
need a mental break after dealing with
an emotionally taxing situation, such
as an abusive customer. Pharmacists
should give themselves the same
consideration, recognising when they
have been rattled, and take some time
to recover.
Tips on how to encourage breaks:
• Ensure adequate staff levels and skill
mix for covering breaks.
• Ensure pharmacy assistants understand
the importance of pharmacist breaks.
• If breaks can’t be scheduled, ensure
they’re taken when reasonable
and practical.
Self-care
The term ‘self-care’ is used to describe
the act of caring for oneself. This may
look different for everyone, but can
include a variety of coping mechanisms:
• Physical activity.
Daily activity of 30-60
minutes is ideal. This doesn’t need to
be all in the one period.
• Sleep.
While sleep requirements vary
slightly from person to person, most
healthy adults need between seven and
nine hours of sleep per night to function
at their best.
• Relaxation.
Breathing exercises,
yoga, meditation.
• Mindfulness.
The quality of being
fully present in the moment can
help you make the most of your
self-care practices.
Sole pharmacists
Although sole pharmacists may struggle
to find the opportunity to schedule
breaks, it’s important that some form of
‘break’ is taken. To relieve the pressure on
a sole pharmacist during breaks, ensure
pharmacy staff understand the importance
of pharmacist breaks, even if these are
for just a few minutes. Perhaps develop
a standard phrase the staff can use with
patients when the sole pharmacist is
on break.
It’s also important to educate pharmacy
assistants regarding a sole pharmacist’s
role, so they’re aware that wait times may
be longer and they can communicate this
to patients.
FROM PAGE 41
CPD ACTIVITY 42
RET AIL PHARMA C Y • MA Y 2020