The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7200 p777
1 June 2002

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United Kingdom Clinical Pharmacy Association summary

Leadership role for pharmacists in community-based programmes

Pharmacists can adopt a leadership role in community-based programmes for health improvement and disease management, according to Elizabeth Grant, health promotion pharmacist, Greater Glasgow Health Board.

A community-based, pharmacy-led pilot project had been carried out to review the feasibility of community pharmacists to work as independent NHS prescribers of medicines to treat head lice. The service developed was based on a similar service provided in Sunderland (PJ, 8 September 2001, p317).

Presenting work that won the UniChem community/primary care award 2002, Mrs Grant said that one of the main incentives of the project was to improve access to treatment. Between March and September 2001, GPs in Drumchapel Local Health Care Co-operative, Glasgow, referred patients seeking advice about head lice to one of five local pharmacies participating in the pilot project (an additional four pharmacies were subsequently recruited). Both pharmacists and technicians had been trained on the recognition and treatment of head lice. Customers were given a detection comb and asked to bring a sample of head lice to the pharmacy, to confirm infection, before a product was prescribed.

Suleo-M (malathion in an alcoholic base) or Derbac-M (malathion in an aqueous base) were selected as products of first choice and Full Marks (phenothrin) or Lyclear (permethrin) as second-line treatments. In persistent cases, patients were referred back to their GP for a prescription for carbaryl. Each consultation lasted five minutes and time was then spent filling out appropriate documentation. Patients were charged £3 for the initial consultation and each additional family member treated was subsequently charged an additional £1.

Advantages of providing such a service included bringing more people into the pharmacy, involvement in health education and payment incentives. Two out of the nine pharmacies involved had more than 20 patients using the service per week, she said.

The intention is to roll out the service in all community pharmacies in Greater Glasgow, Mrs Grant said.