The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7188 p311-320
9 March 2002

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NHS Sheffield (www.sheffield-ha.nhs.uk)

Sheffield HA sets up pharmacy development funds

Sheffield Health Authority has allocated £300,000 over three years to develop community pharmacy services. The money is being used to fund local initiatives, for premises modernisation and to support pharmacy facilitators.

Mick Down, director of pharmaceutical public health at Sheffield HA, explained that the money had come from the authority's strategic development funding. Two new posts are being funded, a part-time community pharmacy facilitator and a pharmacy development manager. The latter post is being jointly funded by Sheffield Local Pharmaceutical Committee.

Peter Magirr, the pharmacy facilitator, described how the money was being alloc-ated. "Around £27,000 has been allocated to each of two funds this year — a modernisation fund and an innovation fund. The allocation of funds is directed by a pharmacy services planning group which includes representatives from the health authority, the LPC, primary care trusts and acute trusts."

Pharmacists in Sheffield were invited to make bids for funding. Up to two-thirds of the full amount needed for premises improvements could come from the modernisation fund, and for innovation and service development the full amount could be given.

One pharmacist who made successful bids for both types of funding was Tina Cooke, of Vantage Pharmacy, Manor Top. She recently refurbished and extended her premises and received £2,100 from the modernisation fund to complete the installation of diagnostic testing and patient counselling areas. She also received £6,000 from the innovation fund to allow her to run a series of specialist health information days for customers at the pharmacy.

"Working with East Sheffield Primary Care Trust we have held three diabetes awareness days so far," Mrs Cooke said. "At each one a pharmacist and two diabetes nurses are present. Patients are screened using a questionnaire based on the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's guidelines. Results are recorded on our own triplicate forms. If appropriate risk factors are seen then blood pressure and blood glucose measurements are made. We normally have about 60 to 70 screenings each day and of these about 5–10 per cent have to be referred to a general practitioner or nurse."

The innovation funding has been used for printing forms, local marketing and advertising and paying for locums.

Recently, on 22 February, a joint diabetes and cardiovascular disease day was held at the pharmacy. Smoking cessation advice was also offered. "This was our most successful day so far. It was helpful to be able to refer customers with cardiovascular risk factors to the smoking cessation adviser there and then." The day was attended by the local Member of Parliament, Meg Munn (Sheffield Heeley, Lab) who said: "We are constantly told that prevention is better than cure and this kind of walk-in support in the community is a great idea."

Mr Magirr said that Mrs Cooke's work was completely in line with the pharmacy plan for England and was a good example of what the funding is designed to achieve.

Health authority funding is also being used to support a trial of supplying non-prescription medicines for minor ailments free-of-charge to patients who qualify for exemption from prescription charges. This is being run by all four primary care trusts in Sheffield. A list of ailments and applicable products and pack sizes has been drawn up. Patients registered with GP practices taking part in the trial go to selected pharmacies. A form is completed with details of the ailment and what was supplied and the patient signs this to confirm their eligibility for free prescriptions. Pharmacists are reimbursed for products supplied. A consultation fee of £1.50 is paid whether or not an item is supplied.

The scheme started on 1 February and will run until 31 March after which it will be reviewed by the prescribing advisers at the PCTs.