Pharmacy Daily | Self care effective

A STUDY presented at this week’s Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain conference in London has shown that treating minor ailments in community pharmacies rather than GP surgeries is a “very cost effective” use of health sector resources. A study undertaken by the University of Sunderland School of Pharmacy looked at pharmacybased minor ailment schemes, which in some areas of the UK are commissioned by local health authorities and enable patients to receive free treatment and advice from their local pharmacy. In a pilot ‘Think Pharmacy First’ campaign in the North of Tyne National Health Service area, 58% of patients whose minor ailments were treated in pharmacy said they would have gone to their GP instead if the scheme hadn’t existed - leading to estimations that the program saved the health service more than £7000 a month. RPSGB spokesman Neal Patel said “Pharmacists and doctors need to work together to make sure patients get access to healthcare in the most appropriate way. “Many of the consultations for minor ailments currently taking place in GP surgeries could easily be managed within community pharmacy,” he added.

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