Return to Practice

Last week I completed the first part of the CPPE Return to Practice course. I am not sure what I was expecting but I am really glad I went as it was very  interesting and informative. Hats off to the CPPE team, they had bacon sandwiches ready for our arrival on Day 1 (most welcome after a  long flog up the M1) and a very full programme of events that took us through to 6.30pm. My brain was quite spongy by then but it revived after a very tasty supper. Day 2 started promptly at 8.30am with some tough group exercises called ‘A Typical Day in the Pharmacy’, which proceeded to prove there is no such thing. During the first discussion, my group was all for closing the pharmacy while we sorted it out…apparently that is not an option!!! Did I make a mistake, YES, I would have sold the OTC Chloramphenicol to the man with the contact lenses…oops

I really liked my fellow attendees and it is always fascinating to hear other people’s stories. We had pharmacists retuning after a spell of maternity leave, others there between jobs wanting to do some locums, overseas pharmacists preparing for practice in the UK and some having a change of career after a spell in other sectors of the profession.  I was there because it has been 10 years since I dispensed a prescription and if I am to effectively represent community pharmacy I need to know what it feels like to actually deliver services under the pressures we know our pharmacy teams experience.

At the end of Day 1 and 2 I feel much more enthusiastic about getting back into the dispensary but I know I have more work to do. Looking forward to Day 3 and 4, just not the long journey to get there!

Would I recommend it…most definitely yes. Did I promote the Hampshire and IOW LPC…shamelessly and I am expecting them all to have visited the website and read this blog before next week

Off now to make a few hundred CPD entries.