Who manages Pharmacies COVID jabs?

Who manages Pharmacies COVID jabs?

Author
Discussion

Lord Pork

Original Poster:

76 posts

28 months

Saturday 15th October 2022
quotequote all

Lady Pork booked her Covid test and we trundled over to a pharmacy 10 miles away 2 weeks ago.

She emerged querying what had happened as the pharmacist asked her to raise her arm as the pharmacist lent over the table to undertake the injection.

A piece of bandage was taped over the jab as it had bled. ( as it would when they take blood etc )

The next day her upper arm had a bruise the size of a large box of matches spread across it.
Something wasn't right and 10 days later we were expressing concern that the bruise was still there and telephoned our local doctors. They were sent an image of the still bruised arm and called her in for a consultation. A nice doctor was just that, nice, but couldn't confirm as to the effectiveness of the Covid jab as it has gone into her bloodstream via a vein.

He suggested the pharmacist should be told of their error.

Thats all very well and dandy but does absolutely nothing to insure they don't place future injections in the same way. I see no point undertaking this as the pharmacist is likely to ignore the issue, it needs an NHS manager or "some-one" to re-train them I'm thinking.

Lady Pork doesn't enjoy the best of health and is awaiting a serious operation at year end. The doctor suggests there's nothing that can be done about the risk of blood clots etc from this existing injection, all of which leaves Lady Pork seriously upset by the whole episode.

I wonder, am I right to dismiss approaching the pharmacist to complain?

I feel speaking / writing to the local health authority is more likely to see a positive outcome. If not the HA, then who?



Booooger, this is in general gassing, should be in Health Matters, apologies guys and gals

Edited by Lord Pork on Saturday 15th October 13:41

MB140

4,365 posts

110 months

Saturday 15th October 2022
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I predict this will not go how you imagine it will.


Riley Blue

21,634 posts

233 months

Saturday 15th October 2022
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IFAIK Primary Care Networks are responsible for the roll out of the Covid vaccination though I doubt they're responsible for the training of pharmacy staff in giving them so it's them, the pharmacy, I'd be contacting.

Chromegrill

1,100 posts

93 months

Saturday 15th October 2022
quotequote all
Sorry to hear about what must have been a disappointing and possibly worrying experience.

Other than taking concerns up directly with the pharmacy, in England the COVID vaccination program is commissioned by NHS England. Therefore the routes that patients are advised to follow when raising concerns about pharmacies are listed here:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/complaint/co...

anonymous-user

61 months

Saturday 15th October 2022
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It’s was always taught that you should draw back before giving an IM or SC injection to prevent inadvertent IV administer action for this reason. It’s one aspect of medicine and nursing that has become dumbed down sadly.

(IV injection risks a bruise as well as delivers the vaccine to the blood stream instead of into the lymphatic system which is the intended destination.)

It’s probably not considered negligent anymore but it’s certainly not best practice.

OMITN

2,406 posts

99 months

Sunday 16th October 2022
quotequote all
Lord Pork said:
Lady Pork booked her Covid test and we trundled over to a pharmacy 10 miles away 2 weeks ago.

She emerged querying what had happened as the pharmacist asked her to raise her arm as the pharmacist lent over the table to undertake the injection.

A piece of bandage was taped over the jab as it had bled. ( as it would when they take blood etc )

The next day her upper arm had a bruise the size of a large box of matches spread across it.
Something wasn't right and 10 days later we were expressing concern that the bruise was still there and telephoned our local doctors. They were sent an image of the still bruised arm and called her in for a consultation. A nice doctor was just that, nice, but couldn't confirm as to the effectiveness of the Covid jab as it has gone into her bloodstream via a vein.

He suggested the pharmacist should be told of their error.

Thats all very well and dandy but does absolutely nothing to insure they don't place future injections in the same way. I see no point undertaking this as the pharmacist is likely to ignore the issue, it needs an NHS manager or "some-one" to re-train them I'm thinking.

Lady Pork doesn't enjoy the best of health and is awaiting a serious operation at year end. The doctor suggests there's nothing that can be done about the risk of blood clots etc from this existing injection, all of which leaves Lady Pork seriously upset by the whole episode.

I wonder, am I right to dismiss approaching the pharmacist to complain?

I feel speaking / writing to the local health authority is more likely to see a positive outcome. If not the HA, then who?



Booooger, this is in general gassing, should be in Health Matters, apologies guys and gals

Edited by Lord Pork on Saturday 15th October 13:41
Pharmacies and pharmacists are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). This requires them to have complaints procedures in place. Follow that.

If you’re not satisfied with how the complaint is handled, you can then go to the GPhC directly.

Vaccinations are a service provided by pharmacies for the NHS (local or national), but matters of patient safety aren’t the preserve of the NHS in the first instance (pharmacies, just like GPs, are private businesses who are contracted by the NHS to deliver services).

So your route is: complain to the pharmacy snd, if not resolved, go to the GPhC.

river_rat

705 posts

210 months

Tuesday 18th October 2022
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IIRC the UK have ignored the need for vaccine aspiration (which stops it going directly into the vein)?

Other countires have adopted it due the potential side effects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6hUoosMOuU