by Nicola Dann
One of the things I enjoy most about managing the bespoke projects for Nelson Croom is that it gives me the opportunity to learn a little about a lot of diverse topics. As our expertise lies in the conversion of a subject to the online learning medium rather than in-depth knowledge of the subject matter, there are no topics that we can't work with. That means we have an array of courses that range from drug and alcohol counselling to financial planning, taking in relationship advice and support, competition compliance for the construction industry and dental surgery along the way!
Obviously none of the courses would work if we didn't have subject matter experts for all these topics, so this is where a close relationship with the client is vital as in all cases they are (or provide) the content experts. The initial phase of the relationship begins with the scoping process, where we quiz the relevant people about what the learner needs to know. We also ask a lot of dumb questions because generally at this stage we know very little. The answer can often be met with a collective Nelson Croom 'ahh, now I see' reaction.
We've recently been working on a project for an organisation that provides advice and consultancy to the NHS and Pharmaceutical Industry. Among other things they also run training courses for GP practices that dispense drugs and wanted to offer this training online. One of the objectives of this project was to teach those prescribing controlled drugs how to prescribe more effectively in order to address the problem of the levels of wastage, so making the process more cost effective for the NHS. Didn't seem like to big a deal at the time. But then I saw the figures involved. Here are some of them:
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Unused prescription medicines cost the NHS over £10 million every year - just in South Yorkshire! That could pay for an extra 300 community nurses or 1,400 heart by-pass operations
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Between 2002-2007 the NHS has spent more than £1billion on buying and disposing of drugs that were never used
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824 Tonnes of medication is destroyed unused every year – equivalent to the weight of 5 jumbo jets
Even if you never open them, once medicines have left the Pharmacy they cannot be recycled or used by anyone else, so preventing unneeded drugs leaving the dispensary at all is vital if this wastage is to be reduced. Wouldn't it be great if this course could help!
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