Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I have service users who go out to a day centre or home to relatives. Do I have to send them with the whole tray?
A. Tomms Pharmacy can supply you with a handypack.
Q. I have a patient who self medicates with the care home setting. How will I accommodate them?
A. Tomms Pharmacy can provide a weekly Biodose setting, contact us and we will demonstrate this for you.
Q. What if a medication changes mid month?
A. If there are any changes to a patients medication during the month there are various options to accommodate these please contact your Tomms Pharmacy for further advice and information
Q. What if one of my residents requires an urgent interim medication such as an antibiotic?
A. Tomms Pharmacy has a comprehensive same day delivery which we tailor to your individual needs. Please contact Tomms Pharmacy to discuss this.
Q. How will I get my prescriptions to Tomms Pharmacy?
A. Tomms Pharmacy utilises a variety of mechanisms such as fax, email, post and our logistics team to allow a flexible approach to the collection and delivery service of your prescriptions
Q. The home I manage has a lot of complex needs. Could we use Biodose?
A. Tomms Pharmacy provides a totally personalised service as every home has different requirements.
Q. The Biodose system looks exactly what we need. How will we know how to use it?
A. Tomms pharmacy provides free training on the use of the Biodose monitored Dosage system. This can be provided in house or in our training room on site.
Q. How often do you provide pharmacy visits?
A. Tomms Pharmacy provides pharmacy visits annually.
Q. I have decided that I want to change over to the Biodose system. What do I do now?
A. Contact Tomms Pharmacy and we will arrange a suitable time to come out and see you and assess your needs. We at Tomms Pharmacy have a tried and tested procedure for changing over to us.
Q. I like to receive my monthly medication into the home three days before our start date. Will Tomms Pharmacy deliver three days before?
A. That will not be a problem. Tomms Pharmacy totally personalises the service to your needs and we also provide timetables so you know exactly when you need to submit your prescriptions and when to expect your delivery.
Q. How do I dispose of the Biodose Pods?
A.For care Homes that offer personal care only
Please remove any pods containing medication for return to the pharmacy. The plastics are all fully recyclable, however the lids of the pods and the label carry confidential patient information and must be destroyed separately. You should do this in accordance with your standard confidential information disposal procedures. If you require further advice please contact us and we can support you with this.
For care Homes that offer Nursing care only
Please remove any pods containing medication for return via your clinical waste carrier. The plastics are all fully recyclable, however the lids of the pods and the label carry confidential patient information and must be destroyed separately. You should do this in accordance with your standard confidential information disposal procedures. If you require further advice please contact us and we can support you with this.
Q. I have all my policies written tailored to my medication needs using a different system to Biodose. Once I have changed over will my policies need to be updated to accommodate Biodose?
A. Yes you will need to update your policies. Tomms Pharmacy can assist you in achieving compliance with the CQC regulations.
Q. How are the photographs put onto the Biodose trays and MAR sheets?
A. The Biodose system has a number of ways in which the medication can be linked to the patient. One of the most visual being a photograph printed onto the end of every pack, MAR and PIC sheet. For this the photographs need to be available digitally for Tomms Pharmacy to input into the computer system.
The care home can take digital photographs of the patients. Then the files need to be transferred either on the camera or other portable storage device to the pharmacy to be inputted on the system.
We would suggest that a full printout of all the photographs is made with the patient names so that these can be checked and signed/agreed between the pharmacy and the care home.
Tomms Pharmacy can loan a digital camera on request.