Pharmacist qualifies as a First Contact Care practitioner in England
Mohammed Ahmed has become the first pharmacist in England to complete the “First Contact Care” postgraduate diploma and is now qualified to practise as a First Contact practitioner.
The “First
Contact Care” programme, offered by the NHS University
and leading to either a postgraduate diploma or a masters degree, covers
assessment and diagnosis of patients and planning of subsequent treatment
(PJ, 28 August 2004, p282). It is designed so that health professionals
other than GPs can develop the necessary skills to become the first point
of contact for patients.
Mr Ahmed, employed by Doncaster West Primary Care Trust, works as a First
Contact practitioner in a GP surgery for two sessions a week, seeing
patients with both acute and chronic conditions.
Although GPs sign prescriptions for the acute conditions, he is able
to formulate his own clinical management plans for chronic conditions.
He also uses his time in the practice to review pathology results and
do opportunistic medicines reviews.
Mr Ahmed told The Journal that he is considering a number of ways of
developing his role now that he is qualified. These include working full-time
in a GP surgery, initially as an employee, but later as a partner in
a personal medical services-led practice, or taking on a personal medical
services contract himself and employing a salaried GP.
Another of his options is, he says, to work for the primary care trust
as a practitioner and let the PCT sell his services to practices that
would otherwise need GP locum cover.
Jonathan McGill, an independent contractor in Doncaster Central PCT,
who is also studying for the diploma, has so far completed two of the
four modules and will be beginning the third in September. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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