Complete the weekly imprest, cold chain and drug safe checks

You are a pharmacy technician at the Toronto pharmacy.

Simulated workplaceIntermediate missionCAQA Lakeside Health

What is going on

It is Monday and the weekly stock checks fall to you under the supervision of the Pharmacist in Charge. The treatment room imprest and the dental imprest are due for their weekly check against the agreed lists. The adult diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine stock has been quarantined in fridge 1 since the 4 September temperature excursion and the state program has advised it can be used, but no release decision is recorded. A sodium chloride order is due to arrive today. An amoxicillin pack expires at the end of the month. The drug safe register must be balanced with the pharmacist. Last week a dose administration aid was packed with a discontinued medicine and caught at the pharmacist check.

Samuel Nakamura-Reid, Pharmacist in Charge
Subject: Weekly imprest and cold chain checks are yours this week

You will do the weekly imprest checks for the treatment rooms and the dental clinic on Monday, the vaccine fridge reconciliation and the drug safe balance with me. Read the Medication Management and Scheduled Medicines Policy first. The diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis stock is still quarantined from the fridge excursion and needs a release decision recorded; the sodium chloride order is due Monday; and there is an expired amoxicillin pack to process for destruction. Update every line in the Pharmacy Stock, Imprest and Cold Chain system and raise an incident report if you find anything out of place.

Your brief

Complete the weekly imprest checks, receive and put away the incoming order, process the expiring stock, record the release decision on the quarantined vaccines with the pharmacist, balance the drug safe register and update every affected line in the Pharmacy Stock, Imprest and Cold Chain system with accurate records.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

Read the Medication Management and Scheduled Medicines Policy and list the rules for imprest, cold chain, controlled medicines and expired stock that apply to today's checks.
Check the treatment room imprest and the dental imprest against the agreed lists, record quantities, expiry dates and any damaged or missing items, and update the system.
Read the fridge 1 temperature log and the 4 September incident, confirm the state program advice with the pharmacist, and record the release or destruction decision for the quarantined vaccine line.
Receive the sodium chloride delivery, check it against the order, record the batch and expiry, put it away in the imprest and update the line from On order to In stock.
Move the expiring amoxicillin pack to the returned medicines container, record it and update the line, then check the dispensary for any other stock expiring within 60 days.
Balance the drug safe register with the pharmacist, record the count and both signatures, and describe what you would do if the balance did not agree.
Review the 9 September dose administration aid near miss in the Clinical Incident and Hazard Register and suggest one change to the profile update process for the clinical governance meeting.

My notes: what did I enjoy, and what surprised me?

What someone in this role would produce

Updated Pharmacy Stock, Imprest and Cold Chain records for every line checked
Imprest check sheets for the treatment rooms and dental clinic
Written release decision for the quarantined vaccines
Drug safe balance record
Improvement suggestion for the near miss

Printing this is a record of what you explored. It is not a certificate or a qualification.