As an ACT in a busy village pharmacy offering lots of services, Karen Baker loves to get stuck into every aspect of pharmacy life

After 32 years, Karen Baker’s enthusiasm for community pharmacy is just as strong as it was the day she began working at an independent pharmacy in Staines at the age of 16. Since that time, Karen has moved pharmacies just once, supported countless patients with their health and medicines and helped deliver a wide range of services to her community. Today, she’s as ready as ever to take on any new challenges that might come her way.

Responsible roles

Located on a busy village street, Wraysbury Village Pharmacy dispenses around 5,600 prescriptions each month. As an accuracy checking technician (ACT), Karen is responsible for carrying out the final accuracy check on each prescription item after it has been dispensed. However, her role extends far beyond accuracy checking.

It also includes ordering stock from wholesalers and specials companies, managing the repeat dispensing service, checking the controlled drugs (CDs) and ensuring that the pharmacy’s SOPs (standard operating procedures) stay up to date. In addition, Karen assists the pharmacists in compiling monitored dosage system (MDS) trays for care home residents. Karen says that she is able to perform such a wide variety of responsible tasks because of the support of her team and pharmacy owner Simon Carter.

“I love being able to do a bit of everything and it works because we are such a good team and everyone knows exactly what each other’s roles are. Also, as I’ve worked here for so long, Simon really trusts my judgement,” she says. Around six years ago, Wraysbury Village Pharmacy became a member of Alphega Pharmacy, which, says Karen, has brought the team a raft of benefits to support them in their daily roles.

Karen is always ready and willing to take on new challenges

Valuable services

If Karen didn’t have enough to keep her busy in the dispensary, she is also involved with registering patients for and delivering the pharmacy’s services, which include diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol testing, BMI measurements, MURs (medicines use reviews) and the NMS (new medicine service). The pharmacy is currently gearing up to offer seasonal flu vaccinations to patients on the NHS and privately, and Karen is actively looking out for patients in the target groups.

“For example, if someone comes in with a prescription for a diabetes medicine, I will ask them if they would like to have their flu jab here,” she explains. “Similarly, if they present with a prescription for a medicine they have not taken before, I will sign them up for the NMS or if the computer flags up that they are due an MUR, I will book them an appointment with the pharmacist.”

Karen particularly enjoys carrying out the diabetes and cholesterol testing services. “The diabetes check is a really worthwhile service because it helps spot people with diabetes, or who are at risk of it, before they have developed any complications. “To reach more people, we hold diabetes awareness days in which we put up posters, hand out leaflets and offer free checks,” she says.

“The cholesterol test provides a complete reading, including triglycerides and HDL and LDL cholesterol. We go through the results and explain everything to the patient.”

I enjoy chatting to everyone and making sure they get the medicines and services they need

Advanced technology

The latest addition to Wraysbury Village Pharmacy’s suite of services is a mole scanning service, which is being piloted in 25 Alphega Pharmacies around the UK. The innovative service is designed to help detect malignant melanoma, which kills 2,000 Britons each year, and is available to anyone who is concerned about a mole. Karen scans a customer’s mole using a high-tech imaging device called a SIAscope.

The images are sent to a dermatology specialist at ScreenCancer UK for analysis, and the customer is contacted directly with their results within two weeks. “As part of the service, we also go through people’s history of sunbathing and using sunbeds and provide general advice about sun safety, such as keeping out of the sun and using a good sunscreen,” says Karen. “We can also advise people on how to check their moles and if anyone experiences something worrying like a bleeding mole, we would refer them to their GP straight away.”

Friendly atmosphere

Karen feels grateful that she has the chance to take part in innovative pharmacy services and loves being able to help her customers in any way she can. The pharmacy serves a close-knit community, and Karen knows the vast majority of her patients and customers by name.

“Some 99 per cent of our customers are regulars; we know exactly what medicines they are taking and can get their prescriptions ready as soon as they come in. I enjoy chatting to everyone and making sure they get the medicines and services they need,” she says. “It’s a lovely place to work, with such a friendly atmosphere.”

Always on the go

Looking to the future, Karen says that she would be happy to help out with even more pharmacy services. In particular, she would like to assist the pharmacists in offering an INR monitoring service for patients on longterm anticoagulant therapy. While the prospect of taking on yet another role may seem daunting, Karen insists that she thrives on the pharmacy’s busy pace.

“I never sit down. I’m on the go the whole time,” she says. “I think I would get bored in a quiet pharmacy.”