Pharmacy needs to be more fully integrated into public health plans
Community pharmacy needs to be used more effectively as part of Government plans to improve public health, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee is arguing.
In a response to the second Treasury consultation on securing good health
for the whole population, being led by Derek Wanless, a former chief
executive of NatWest bank, the PSNC says that community pharmacists and
their staff can offer patients information and support in ways that would
reduce illness and health inequalities. In particular, they could contribute
to priority areas such as cancer, coronary heart disease, mental health,
older people and improving life chances for children.
However, greater involvement of pharmacies is being held back by lack
of access to the NHSnet, the PSNC warns. Access to common electronic
records and associated resources “will be fundamental to pharmacy
delivering new services to patients”, it says.
Asked to suggest cost-effective ways of managing diseases, the PSNC highlights
minor ailment schemes for patients who do not pay prescription charges.
The PSNC points out that implementing such a scheme nationally could
save £380m a year by removing consultations for minor ailments
from general practitioners.
The PSNC says that community pharmacies need to be integrated more closely
with social services single assessment processes, with community mental
health teams and services for older people living at home.
Wasted GP visits Community pharmacists could be dealing with up
to a quarter of a million people, or 12 for each general practitioner,
who consult GPs each week for advice and treatments for minor ailments,
according to a survey conducted for Lloyds-pharmacy. More than half
of 100 GPs questioned said that one in five of their patients could
have gone directly to a pharmacist with their problems instead of
making an appointment. Three-quarters agreed that pharmacists should
be allowed to prescribe certain medicines to reduce GP workload.
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