Minor ailment scheme eases GP pressure
A community pharmacist who has been offering minor ailment consultations as part of an initiative to take workload pressures off GPs would like to see the scheme incorporated into the new pharmacy contract.
Mark Bowyer, who manages Hedley Hewes Pharmacy in
inner-city Derby, said: “I would like to see a minor ailment consultations
included as part of the new contract. It’s been professionally
very satisfying. It has given us the recognition that we are clinicians.”
Hedley Hewes Pharmacy is one of 11 in Derby which have signed up to the
Pharmacy First initiative which also involves six GP practices. Since
the initiative was launched by Central Derby Primary Care Trust in November
last year it has saved an average 500 GP consultations a month.
Pharmacists are paid an annual £50 retainer and a consultation
fee of £2.50 per patient, as part of the scheme.
Patients at participating practices are given a booklet detailing the
minor conditions which can be dealt with by pharmacists rather than their
GP.
The pharmacist can then issue medication — working to agreed protocols
and an agreed limited formulary — following a consultation.
A six-month audit of the initiative revealed there were 3,686 referrals
to pharmacists and the average cost of the medicines supplied for each
referral was 75p. The cost of each referral, including pharmacy fees
and PCT administrative costs, was £3.51p or £11,982 in total.
An evaluation of the scheme by researchers at the University of Derby
concluded the service was appreciated by pharmacists, GPs and patients
and recommended that it should be extended to other practices.
Central Derby PCT prescribing manager Mrs Laraine Tuplin said: “We
will probably roll the scheme out to other pharmacies and practices and,
particularly in light of the new pharmacy contract, we would be interested
in making it an “additional service.”
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