Tauranga Hospital pharmacy technician selected for new role
Sejal Patel who works in the Tauranga Hospital pharmacy has been selected for a new technician course set to reshape the way pharmacists support patients .
Following the Pharmaceutical Society ’ s successful pilot of the initiative last year , a Pharmacy Accuracy Technician ( PACT ) course is being rolled out across the country .
The PACTs are trained and certified to carry out the final check on dispensed items , part of a process which currently sits with a pharmacist . The new role is designed to free up pharmacists to have more time with patients .
Indian born Sejal came to New Zealand with her family six years ago . Although she qualified as a pharmacist in India , her qualification is not recognised here and initially she worked in a community pharmacy in Kawerau before taking on a casual pharmacy technician position at Tauranga Hospital .
Pharmacist Tanya Appleby says , “ Sejal ’ s background and efficient work ethic makes her the perfect candidate for this new and
From left : Sejal Patel with Tanya Appleby . Staying awake during surgery : is regional anaesthesia right for you ?
innovative pharmacy technician role . Checking technicians are an integral part of pharmacy in the UK and Ireland . They can enhance the pharmacy team , by freeing up other staff for other roles .”
Stop blood clots , save lives
Stop blood clots , save lives – that was the key message for World Thrombosis day marked at Tauranga Hospital earlier this month with a walking blood clot .
Reducing death and disability from thrombosis is the goal behind World Thrombosis Day ( WTD ).
Venous Thromboembolism ( VTE ) is a condition where a blood clot forms within a vein leading to deep vein thrombosis ( DVT ), or pulmonary embolism ( PE ), both potentially fatal conditions . This may present as a hot , swollen lower leg or shortness of breath and chest pain .
Immobility is a leading risk factor of VTE , which is 100 times more likely to occur in hospital than in the community , as patients are confined to bed for extended periods of time .
As a leading cause of death and disability worldwide , approximately 10 million cases of VTE occur every year .
From left : Nurse educator Fiona Williams , Quality and Patient Safety Coordinator Lorraine Wilson , a Medtronic rep in ‘ Blood Clot Suit ’ and Registered Nurse Kelly McNab help mark World Thrombosis Day .
This year they had the addition of a walking blood clot to draw attention to the issue . This came from America . Understandably the suit is quite warm to wear for long periods so this task was shared between a few people .
In Tauranga Hospital ’ s Main Street , BOPDHB educators were at hand to talk to staff and members of the public about thrombosis .
21