Tag Archive for: PSS

Preparing for a successful RCVS Practice Standards Scheme assessment

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Your inbox pings, and there it is – the email from your RCVS assessor with the all-important assessment date. As you stare at it, the initial feeling of unease creeps in, and you wonder how to kick off this journey. If this scenario sounds familiar, fear not! We’ve got your back. In this blog, we’re here to guide you with some valuable tips to help you make a confident start and pave the way for a successful assessment day.

Tip 1: Set the right expectations

The assessment process isn’t just about ticking off boxes; it serves multiple important purposes. First and foremost, it’s a means to acknowledge and celebrate all the excellent work carried out within your veterinary practice. Additionally, it’s a way to ensure compliance with the necessary legislation concerning medicines. However, it’s essential to emphasise that this assessment isn’t a simple pass-or-fail exercise. It’s a valuable opportunity to invite a fresh perspective into your practice, uncover any blind spots, and continually improve the way you operate. Once the assessment day is complete, you’ll receive a report detailing your areas of improvement and a timeline to address them.

Tip 2: Start with the end in mind

Adopt a project-like mindset with three months of preparation. Break this time into monthly segments and list specific activities you want to accomplish in these time periods. Maintain a visible progress tracker, like a whiteboard, which everyone can see in order to generate some “creative tension” within the team. Utilise numbers to tell the story e.g. “We have 1 month left to go”, or “we’ve internally audited 80% of modules”.

Tip 3: Work Smart 

Practice Standards is composed of 19 modules, but not all areas should be treated with equal attention. Some modules, such as Diagnostic Imaging, Medicines, and Practice Team, deserve particular focus due to the number of regulatory requirements they contain. If you’re short on time, Medicines (Module 10) should take priority, because the assessor’s core aim is to check you’re complying with the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMRs). If you have deficits in this area, the assessor will give you a short timescale to address them (1 month). Therefore, its a good idea to start early and invest time on the Medicines module before the assessment day.

Tip 4: Create Champions

To make the preparation process more manageable, consider creating champions within your team. Assign specific modules to team members based on their expertise and roles. For instance, an experienced receptionist and vet can handle the Client Experience and Clinical Governance modules respectively. Members of the nursing team can take on Dentistry, Surgery, Anaesthesia, Nursing, and Lab modules. Your RPS should lead the Diagnostic Imaging module, and if you have a Practice Manager, they might be best placed to focus on the Practice Team module. Where possible, try to ensure these team members are in on the day of the assessment and communicate with your assessor when they will be free for questions. 

this assessment isn’t a simple pass-or-fail exercise. It’s a valuable opportunity to invite a fresh perspective into your practice

In summary, preparing for your RCVS assessment doesn’t need to be stressful. Start early with your planning, break it down into chunks, and get the whole team involved. Should you have any questions or need additional support along the way, don’t hesitate to Contact VetQI. Best of luck with your RCVS assessment preparations!

Essential temperature monitoring solutions for your medicines

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This article will cover the importance of monitoring your medicine’s temperatures, especially for your upcoming RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) or Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) assessment.

Why is temperature monitoring for medicines so important? 

To keep your medicines working effectively, you’ll need to store them at the right temperature as described in their specific product characteristics (SPC). Monitoring the temperature of all the medicines you store on-site can be a big challenge especially as they can be stored away in different rooms and draws across the practice.

What’s required for the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (PSS)?

For those participating in the scheme, it’s a core requirement to monitor the ambient temperature of your medicines and quickly respond if it deviates outside of the reference range. It’s also important to record and store the temperatures you monitor for auditing purposes. Prior to the assessment day, your inspector will ask you to upload your standard operating procedure (SOP) for monitoring and responding to temperature changes. On the day of the assessment, your inspector will also want to see all the areas you store medicines and check you have the right systems in place.

What solutions are out there to help?

There are various solutions to help you manage and record the ambient temperature of your medicines. These include min-max thermometers, data loggers, and cloud-based temperature monitoring. Some of the key characteristics of these are summarised below. 

  1. Min-max thermometers
  • The manual approach for temperature monitoring involves daily readings from a specific thermometer which stores the minimum and maximum temperature within a given period. Staff record this down once daily e.g. in a paper book or laminated table and then reset the device
  • Pros: It’s low cost and quick to set up
  • Cons: dependency on staff, difficulty in analysing data, and environmental impact of paper and laminating

2. Data loggers

  • These USB stick devices are used to monitor temperatures in specific areas, store data on themselves, and notify using an alarm or flashing light if it deviates from a set range 
  • Pros: They save staff time and provide a rich amount of data for analysis
  • Cons: Upfront investment cost in the technology and dependency on staff to collect and download the data weekly

3. Cloud-based monitoring

  • Small devices are placed in different locations and sync temperature data via the internet to a cloud-based storage system, triggering notifications such as an email or push notification if temperatures deviate from a set range
  • Pros: A further saving on staff time and often built-in analytics for the stored data
  • Cons: The highest upfront investment costs and reliance on a reliable internet connection

When it comes to considering which system to go with, it’s not only important to consider the direct staffing cost if manual checks are involved but also the opportunity cost, which is the potential of using them elsewhere.

5 Top tips for monitoring and recording medicine temperature 

  1. Take care of storing medicines near heat sources like radiators, printers, and lab equipment
  2. Place fridge thermometers inside a Tupperware to limit the impact of opening and closing the fridge door
  3. Assigning temperature monitoring responsibility to a specific shift or role can improve compliance
  4. Centralise the storage of medicines when possible to minimise the effort of monitoring and recording
  5. Don’t forget to monitor the meds stored in the controlled drugs cabinet, reception, and crash kit!

In summary, monitoring medicine’s temperatures correctly at your practices is key to essential to keep them working effectively. There are different solutions out there that can help you depending on the level of investment you want to make. Keep in mind that investing upfront in a more automated solution will improve compliance and free your team up to do more rewarding work.

VetQI can provide expert support in choosing the right system for a practice’s needs, especially when it comes to upcoming PSS assessments. Contact VetQI for more information

Setting the standard for excellence: crafting effective policies for your veterinary practice

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As a veterinary practice, you are responsible for providing high-quality care to your patients and clients. But with the many complex and challenging situations that can arise in the course of daily operations, it can be tough. That’s where policies come in. By providing clear guidelines and parameters for behaviour and actions, policies help to support decision-making, maintain quality of care, and promote a culture of excellence in your practice.

What is a policy?

A policy is a statement that conveys the values, culture, philosophies, goals, and limits of your organization. It helps in decision-making and serves as a link between your organization’s vision, values, and daily operations. Procedures, also known as standard operating procedures (SOPs), are detailed instructions that provide specific steps to execute a policy. They are a part of policies but are more specific and detailed.

Why are policies useful for vet practices?

Key benefits of having policies in place include:

  • Set guidelines and parameters for employees to successfully reach their goals with confidence
  • Increase compliance with regulatory and professional standards
  • Improve the quality of the care being delivered to patients and clients
  • Support decision-making during difficult or complex situations to avoid a crisis

What policies should a vet practice have?

As a veterinary practice, there are specific policies that you should have in place. These policies include:

  • Health and Safety Policy
  • Code of Conduct Policy
  • Complaints Policy
  • Data Protection Policy
  • Waste Management Policy
  • Biosecurity Policy
  • Staff Training and Development Policy

Who should be involved in making policies?

Responsibility for policy-making can vary depending on the type of policy and the size or structure of the company. In a small company, it might be the business owner, while in a corporation, it could be the head office. For specialist services or offerings, it might be the departments themselves. It’s important to involve subject matter experts and conduct research to reflect the latest regulations and standards. 

How should policies be structured?

A policy document should include the following:

  • Document control: Who created and approved the document, who edited last and what version is it?
  • Purpose: What is the policy about?
  • Statement: This is the core of the document. What is the policy statement of your organization specific to the topic? 
  • Procedures: What procedures might sit within this policy?

In the statement, consider the what, why, when, who, and basic how (this will be elaborated on in each procedure that comes out of it). It may be important to lay out the responsibilities for certain roles in this area in some detail. Further useful reading on writing a specific sustainability policy can be found here by the BVA.

Top tips for creating policies

  • To make it easier to read, use simple, easy to understand language and have a set structure to each policy
  • Think about what you want to achieve with your policy and ask yourself ‘what if’ to see if it covers the most common eventualities 
  • Learn about what needs changing by piloting it as quickly as possible with operational teams 

When should policies be reviewed?

Policies are not changed very often (unlike procedures), and when they are, will involve many stakeholders from across the company. Policies should be reviewed periodically to ensure that they remain current and relevant. Examples of when you might want to review and update policies include:

  • Existing policies are not robust enough.
  • Outdated policies with new technologies, systems or services offered.
  • Changes in regulations and professional standards.

In conclusion, having policies in place is essential for the success of your veterinary practice. They provide clarity around how to run the practice within the context of the organisation (e.g., values, mission), regulatory requirements (e.g., health and safety), and professional standards (e.g., code of conduct). For more help withe reviewing or crafting your own policies, Contact VetQI.