Pharmacy Staff Receive Life-saving Training
The National Heart Foundation of Australia has developed an online learning module for pharmacists and pharmacy assistants to help them educate their customers with heart disease about the warning signs of heart attack.
The e-learning module BeAWARE Pharmacy was launched in October and can be accessed at www.heartfoundation.org.au/online-learning. It is also available from the Guild Pharmacy Academy's online learning platform at www.mycpd.org.au.
The Heart Foundation's National CEO, Dr Lyn Roberts, said the module has been based on the successful BeAWARE of warning signs of heart attack and stroke, which was developed for general practice staff.
"Our first e-training module for general practice staff was launched in May last year and has since been completed by more than 3,000 health professionals. It was so popular we had pharmacy professionals asking if there was a module available for them too - so from there the Pharmacy module was born," Dr Roberts said.
"As well as educating staff on the warning signs of heart attack, the module also provides information on angina medication and when to take it when experiencing warning signs.
"We hope this extra training gives pharmacists and pharmacy assistants the knowledge and skills to promptly identify customers who are experiencing warning signs and take appropriate action.
"Pharmacists are well positioned to provide continual education about their treatment, as we know patients with heart disease usually visit pharmacies on at least a monthly basis to have their refill prescriptions dispensed.
"For this reason it's vital pharmacy staff are trained to appropriately identify and manage patients presenting with the warning signs of heart attack and stroke, so they can make potentially life-saving decisions, such as calling Triple Zero (000)," she said.
Pharmacy Guild of Australia spokesperson, Anthony Tassone said community pharmacy staff are at the forefront of healthcare in our community with a network of over 5000 pharmacies across Australia.
"Pharmacists are our most accessible health professionals, and increasing their knowledge along with their staff in such a critical area is essential. It literally could save somebody's life," Mr Tassone said.
Upon completion of the module pharmacy staff are encouraged to order a Heart Foundation resource pack that includes the education resources for customers to take home as well as in-store promotion resources to assist pharmacists in promoting their education role to customers.
The learning module takes approximately one hour to complete and has been accredited for one hour and two Group 2 CPD credits upon successful completion of assessment. These credits are suitable for inclusion on an individual pharmacist's CPD plan.
The learning module is also suitable for pharmacy assistants to complete as part of their ongoing learning.
"The Heart Foundation urges pharmacists to encourage and support their staff to undertake the BeAWARE Pharmacy learning module, to improve patient safety, reduce delay and potentially save lives," Dr Roberts concluded.
BeAWARE is free to all pharmacy professionals and their pharmacy assistant staff. To find more information or to register and access the online learning module visit www.heartfoundation.org.au/online-learning or www.mycpd.org.au.
