The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Scottish Department has begun issuing a series of briefing papers covering issues of public health and health care in which the Society has an involvement. The briefings are designed primarily for the use of members of the United Kingdom and Scottish parliaments.
The first two briefings cover the general issue of health care in the high street and the topical issue of emergency hormonal contraception (EHC).
The health care in the high street paper says that Scotland's 1,150 community pharmacies see about 600,000 people every day and dispense about 55 million prescriptions a year. It adds that, according to a Department of Health report, an average pharmacy might expect to serve 1,000 people with chronic disease, 750 elderly people, 600 carers, 200 people with physical or mental disability, 300 under-fives, 50 pregnant women, 20 cancer sufferers, six people with major psychiatric illnesses, six drug users and at least two people with AIDS or HIV infection.
The paper says that community pharmacists are in an unrivalled position in being qualified to advise on and monitor individuals and community patterns of medicine use and public health.
The contraception paper says that pharmacists have called on the Government to permit EHC products to be available directly through community pharmacies under the supervision of a pharmacist. It adds that the Society is developing appropriate practice guidance.
The paper goes on to state that pharmacy can contribute to improved contraceptive and sexual health care by its input into effective, evidence-based strategies, by providing high quality advice about contraception and sexual health and by extending access to EHC through the network of community pharmacies.
The paper adds that, with appropriate counselling, supply through pharmacies would be safe and highly cost effective, without encouraging increased levels of undesirable sexual behaviour.