Local pharmacy services in Westminster and the surrounding area 1. Victoria Pharmacy 58 Horseferry Road SW1P 2AF Tel: 020 7222 5793 Blood pressure test Cholesterol test Medicines use reviews 2. Boots Pharmacy 11 Bridge Street SW1A 2JR Tel: 020 7930 4571 Repeat prescription Healthcheck 3. Lloyds Pharmacy Vauxhall Embankment Tel: 020 7587 0918 Medicines check up Diabetes test Blood pressure 4. Lloyds Pharmacy Lambeth Towers 76 Kennington Road SE11 6NJ Tel: 020 7735 9883 Medicines check up Diabetes test Blood pressure 5. Dolphins Pharmacy 9-11 The Broadway SW1H 0AZ Tel: 020 7222 1828 Weight management The Changing Face of Pharmacy
Contents What is Pharmacy? What is Pharmacy? 3 Royal Pharmaceutical Society 4 The Changing Role of the Pharmacist 5 Enhanced Services: Sexual Health 6 Enhanced Services: Minor Ailments Schemes 7 Enhanced Services: NHS Health Check 8 Pharmacy and Parliament 9 A Partner In Policy Development 10 Constituency Visits 11 Pharmacists are highly trained professionals who, in Great Britain, undergo a five year master s degree course and competency-based training. This is followed by a registration exam that enables them to practice. Around 6,000 pharmacists work in hospitals, playing a key role within the clinical team. Hospital chief pharmacists lead on the safe use of medicines across their organisations, promoting the safe and effective prescribing and administration of medicines during a patient s stay. Increasingly, hospital pharmacists directly prescribe and advise patients on their medicines use, facilitating their successful discharge following treatment. Approximately 3,000 pharmacists work in the pharmaceutical industry and in academia, conducting the teaching and research which will lead to the development of new medicines and techniques. Every year, these breakthroughs cement the UK s position at the forefront of innovative healthcare and improve the health of patients around the world. In addition, there are 32,000 pharmacists working in 13,000 community pharmacies in the UK. These pharmacies are a highly accessible part of the NHS primary care network. 99% of the population can get to a pharmacy within 20 minutes by car and 96% by walking or using public transport. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is proud to be the professional body for pharmacists and pharmacy in England, Scotland and Wales. 2 www.rpharms.com www.rpharms.com 3
Royal Pharmaceutical Society The Changing Role of the Pharmacist The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is the new professional body for every pharmacist in Great Britain. We are the only body that represents all sectors of pharmacy in Great Britain and currently has 49,000 members. There are approximately 75 pharmacists per constituency, working in hospitals, industry, academia and community pharmacies. The RPS: Makes resources and tools available to help members develop and ensure an even greater contribution to innovation and good practice in the workplace and the wider environment Provides a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups with a common interest Supports members throughout their pharmacy career, keeping them abreast of innovations and changes in the profession by providing them with the resources they need to develop their skills and expertise Offers a range of networking opportunities including face to face meetings, events and conferences as well as online networking through our online focus groups and local practice forums Speaks on behalf of the profession, developing and promoting policy and members views on all issues relating to pharmacy and pharmacists Pharmacy is undergoing an enormous change as the clinical expertise of the profession is being harnessed to provide expert, costeffective healthcare to patients. But pharmacy s potential is not being realised quickly or consistently enough and more needs to be done to capitalise on recent positive developments. Since 2005, a new contractual framework for community pharmacy has sought to accelerate the changing role of the profession. While the dispensing and supply of medicines remains an essential part of a pharmacist s job, the ambition is for community pharmacies to offer an ever-expanding range of clinical services. Under the contract, pharmacies can provide local enhanced services, such as vascular health checks and managing minor ailments, commissioned locally. Pharmacists have a proven track record of professional, efficient service to patients and it is vital that the changing role of the pharmacist is recognised and built upon. This will allow best possible levels of service provision locally. The profession has valuable attributes and assets, including its accessibility and expertise. It can undoubtedly contribute to a better healthcare experience for patients, while easing increasing pressures on an already overstretched NHS. The Future of Pharmacy report by the All Party Pharmacy Group, June 2007 As a profession, pharmacists are entering a new era, in which they will have much greater scope to apply their high levels of expertise in direct patient care. Trust, Assurance and Safety The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century Government White Paper, February 2007 4 www.rpharms.com www.rpharms.com 5
Enhanced Services: Sexual Health Enhanced Services: Minor Ailments Schemes Pharmacies have long provided sexual healthcare and this is a role which now encompasses contraception, emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) and chlamydia testing. Last year more than 16,000 free chlamydia tests were carried out in pharmacies as part of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme, which targets at risk people aged under 25. Community pharmacies are particularly well placed to offer sexual health services because they are open in the evening and at weekends and no appointment is required. This is especially important in the provision of EHC, which is most effective if used in the first 72 hours after unprotected sex. Many patients may find it easier to speak confidentially to a pharmacist than go to their family doctor or a GUM clinic. Consultations for EHC are also an opportunity for pharmacists to discuss sexually transmitted infections and future contraception needs with patients. In May 2010, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence produced draft guidelines which recommended that all community pharmacists in England should offer a full range of contraceptive services to young people to help tackle the under-18 conception rate, one of the highest in Western Europe. Minor ailment schemes encourage people with minor ailments, such as hayfever or sprained ankle, to seek advice from the pharmacist instead of making an appointment with a GP. This service is highly cost-effective and enables local GPs to deal with more serious cases. It is estimated that each GP s workload could be reduced by up to 16 consultations a day if self-medication were encouraged for certain minor ailments, such as allergies, head lice, minor skin conditions and common fungal infections, eye infections, and pains and strains. There are excellent examples of minor ailments services, commissioned locally, being used to improve services and efficiency. A nationally commissioned scheme would ensure countrywide access to these programmes and could help avoid over 50 million patient visits to GPs every year. Pharmacy s ready availability in more deprived areas offers enormous potential on which to capitalise and expand access to healthcare services for more disadvantaged groups or those who do not regularly use other health services Pharmacy in England: Building on strengths - delivering the future Department of Health White Paper, 2008 6 www.rpharms.com www.rpharms.com 7
Enhanced Services: NHS Health Check The NHS Health Check programme aims to help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease. The 2008 Pharmacy White Paper identified pharmacies as being a key route of delivery for the programme and a place of access to services for groups who may not be registered with GPs. Health checks are based on straightforward lifestyle questions, measurements and a routine blood test for lipids and other factors when indicated. Depending on results, pharmacists are able to offer general lifestyle advice for those assessed as being at low risk, through specific programmes such as weight management and stopping smoking for those at higher risk, to advice to consult a GP without delay for those at the highest levels of risk. At present, only around half of commissioners are either using or intend to use community pharmacy to deliver NHS Health Checks. The RPS is urging other commissioners to explore how they can use pharmacies to deliver this important aspect of public health policy. Pharmacy and Parliament: All Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy The RPS is a major supporter of the All-Party Pharmacy Group (APPG), alongside other pharmacy bodies. The APPG has a large and broad membership of MPs and Peers. It is one of the largest and most active all-party groups in the Houses of Parliament. The APPG exists to raise awareness of the profession of pharmacy, and to promote pharmacists current and potential contribution to the health of the nation. It regularly holds inquiries and publishes reports on important health issues. For more information please contact Charles Willis: charles.willis@rpharms.com Parliamentary Health Check The RPS holds a regular Health Check in the Palace of Westminster. The event is an excellent opportunity for Parliamentarians to meet with community pharmacists from around the country and access the range of services regularly delivered in local pharmacies within their constituencies. Pharmacists offer professional advice, medicines use reviews, screening for diabetes, cholesterol checks and support on how to live a healthier lifestyle. We hope you will be able to join us at the next Parliamentary Health Check experience the high levels of expertise demonstrated by the pharmacy team. 8 www.rpharms.com www.rpharms.com 9
A Partner In Policy Development: The Health White Paper Constituency Visits The Health White Paper, published in July 2010, offers pharmacy an opportunity to deliver real, costeffective benefits for patients. There are excellent examples of how patients receive care for a range of conditions from local pharmacies. We believe these locally tested services deserve to be rolled out nationally. The RPS will work closely with the new NHS bodies to ensure they are aware of what pharmacy has been delivering across the country, via contracts with PCTs. Pharmacists are currently employed by PCTs and they work in GP practices on a day to day basis to improve prescribing for patients and save money for the NHS. It is essential that the skills and experience of pharmacists are more fully utilised for the NHS to achieve its full potential. The RPS will continue to put the case for pharmacy throughout the consultation period and for the duration of the anticipated Health Bill later in 2010. The RPS believes pharmacy must play a bigger part in healthcare delivery: A greater role in reducing waste medicine currently costing 100m per year A nationally commissioned minor ailments service The ongoing management of patients with long-term conditions To work with GPs to manage patients with complex medicinerelated conditions Pharmacists, working with doctors and other health professionals, have an important and expanding role in optimising the use of medicines and in supporting better health. Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS Department of Health, July 2010 The RPS is pleased to facilitate visits for MPs to see pharmacy facilities in their constituency, in primary or secondary care. These visits are a valuable way for an MP to meet pharmacists, technicians and staff in their constituency, to experience some of the services available and to learn more about the changing role of pharmacy. We are also able to provide media materials for MPs to report the event on their websites or with the local press. If you would like to arrange a visit to a community pharmacy or hospital pharmacy in your constituency, please contact Charles Willis: charles.willis@rpharms.com 10 www.rpharms.com www.rpharms.com 11