The ‘Building Better Boundaries’ event took place on 17 September and was facilitated by PDA National Officer for Northern Ireland, Una O’ Farrell. Prior to the event, GPP Network members were asked what issues they wished to discuss on the day. A common issue included defining the scope of clinical practice, and subsequent pressure to prescribe outside of this.
This was addressed at the event by advising members on what they can do in their workplaces and by encouraging members to use the PDA’s resource, ‘Boundaries of my Clinical Practice Statement (BCPS) and competency development plan’. Members were also advised not to deviate from what is specified in that resource and only declare themselves competent in the area/s of practice described in their BCPS.
The session began with an introduction to the PDA’s GPP Network by PDA Rep, Rebecca Patman who explained her journey to becoming a PDA GPP Network Rep.
Rebecca said, “I started as a rep whilst working at Boots and have done my rep and health & safety training. Although I have changed areas of work, now working in primary care, I can bring this knowledge with me. Primary care is more complicated in structure and is evolving all the time, but with this new network, we can start to look out for the needs of this group of pharmacists.”
The next part of the session shared examples of casework undertaken by the PDA in the previous months and highlighted the importance of seeking early support. Members were reminded that trade union representation was included with their PDA membership and this representation often resulted in achieving positive outcomes for members when they had been treated unfairly, or at particularly challenging points in their careers.
The main body of the presentation guided members on how to best ascertain and maintain boundaries of clinical practice when working in GP Practice. Network members were directed to existing PDA resources in the first instance. The presentation recognised the risks of boundaries being too rigid and not allowing for practice to evolve. It also acknowledged the professional risk to pharmacists of giving in to pressure to make clinical decisions that they did not have the knowledge, skills, experience, and indemnity cover to make.
Network members spoke of further concerns over supervision arrangements in GP Practice settings. They reported that what was outlined in service level agreements was not always routinely observed, and this was noted as a potential area to be discussed at a future network meeting.
The meeting concluded with a discussion on what to do in the event of a boundary breach and the importance of effective, consistent, communication with other members of multidisciplinary teams. Finally, Una O’Farrell called on members to volunteer to become PDA Reps, engage in training, and encourage colleagues to join the PDA’s GPP Network.
Una said, “By networking together GPP Network members stand to influence and shape the future of their roles. The network allows members to share and learn from positive examples of employment practice, service delivery, and evolution of policy. Members can also learn from examples of what happens when something goes wrong. By active participation in network’s events and discussions, the group can build leverage for future campaigns that will standardise good practice.”
Supporting General Practice Pharmacists
The PDA has been supporting the interests of pharmacists working in GP settings since the inception of the role. The rate of evolution of this role has been the highest across all the pharmacy sectors, with pharmacists having to adapt and adjust at pace.
Therefore, these events will provide an opportunity for GPPs to express the challenges they encounter in practice and to explore solutions to these issues by building upon systems and protocols already in place.
The sessions also aim to identify where systems that safeguard safe and effective practice are not in place and to lobby and advocate for change if necessary. Ultimately, the purpose is to improve the terms and conditions of employment, and therefore members’ working lives.
The next GPP Network event will take place at 7 pm on 28 January 2025. Further details about this session will be announced in the new year.
Get involved
PDA members who are interested in getting involved in the GPP Network and participating in future network events are asked to email organising@pda-union.org. Those interested in becoming a PDA Rep can learn more by clicking here.
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