Public health role for London pharmacist
A pharmacist in south London is to play a role in a community initiative launched this week to improve public health.
“Flora Fit Street” is a year-long research project tackling
heart disease in the Clapham Park area. It has been developed by Unilever
(manufacturer
of Flora) and Clapham Park New Deal for Communities.
Rimal Patel, proprietor of The Pharmacy, Brixton Hill, is to offer smoking
cessation advice as part of the project. “The Flora Fit Street
project aims to provide 500 residents with a healthy heart MOT,” he
explains. “People with modifiable risk factors will be given advice
and referred to other services for additional help. Smokers will be referred
to me.”
Mr Patel will offer smokers advice on quitting, weekly monitoring and
up to 12 weeks’ free supply of nicotine replacement therapy irrespective
of whether the smoker pays for prescriptions or not. “I have offered
a similar service for some time but with only eight weeks’ supply
of NRT and four appointments. At the moment, I see the majority of patients
at clinics on Mondays when we have a second pharmacist but will accommodate
patients throughout the week if needed. The clinics might have to be
extended if we get many more referrals through Flora Fit Street,” he
says.
Clapham Park is a deprived area in London with high rates of heart disease.
The NDC takes a holistic view to improving health, additionally looking
at employment, housing and social issues. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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