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| The latest advice points are being funded by the local drug action team |
Greater Glasgow health board has approved the installation of health advice
points in a further 15 community pharmacies across Glasgow using resources allocated
from its drug action team (DAT).
Its goal is to create semi-private consultation areas which can be used for
supervising the consumption of methadone and for needle/syringe exchange services.
They can also be used as health promotion points and for discussions between
pharmacists and patients.
The project started in 1998 with a target to complete practice improvements
in 12 pharmacies, through funding secured from a local primary care development
scheme. All pharmacies were invited to apply and 12 were chosen with particular
emphasis on how often they
supervised methadone consumption.
In 1999, the DAT allocated funds for improvements at another 12 pharmacies and
these installations were completed by March, 2000.
The latest phase of the project will mean that by March next year almost 20
per cent of pharmacies in Greater Glasgow will have health board approved advice
areas. This is expected to lend support to the development of expanded roles
for pharmacists in Glasgow and to guide the use of funds recently allocated
from the Scottish Office to primary care trusts for practice improvements in
community pharmacies across Scotland.
The success of the programme has been evaluated by Strathclyde university’s
department of pharmaceutical sciences and a report is to be presented to the
Glasgow DAT before being made more widely available.