We have had a busy week providing training to groups of pharmacy staff in Cannock and Tamworth, sponsored by Alk-Abello. The training looked at how pharmacy staff could support patients who use adrenaline auto-injector devices, including the Jext and EpiPen devices, by ensuring that they received adequate counselling when devices are issued, including how to use the device, and signposting patients to online resources.
Key messages to pass on to patients were to practise injection technique regularly, using a training device, registering the device online to receive expiry date reminders, and to cascade information to friends, family and colleagues, so that they are in a position to provide help.
We also looked at how to manage anaphylactic reactions, including patient positioning, the early use of injection devices, and basic life support procedures.