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Community pharmacies in East London will provide cholesterol-lowering Inclisiran injections as part of a trial run by Barts Health NHS Trust.

The pilot is being funded by a £198,000 grant from the British Heart Foundation and is designed to make the treatment, which is normally delivered in hospitals, more accessible to local communities.

Two injections are administered each year and can lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The Trust said rolling them out in pharmacies will also help reduce waiting times and tackle health inequalities in cardiovascular care.

The pilot will see pharmacies administer injections to patients currently attending hospitals and those waiting for hospital appointments and identify at-risk patients through pharmacy-based cholesterol testing.

“Community pharmacies, accessible to 99 per cent of people in deprived areas, offer a convenient setting for preventive heart care,” the Trust said.

“The pilot will be evaluated for safety, effectiveness and impact on health outcomes, supporting the NHS Long Term Plan to deliver care closer to home.”

Barts Health and UCLPartners recently launched seven-minute lipid tests in pharmacies and the Trust said that, combined with the introduction of Inclisiran, will “develop a streamlined pathway for patients to be tested and treated in one place close to home”.

Dr Sotiris Antoniou, the clinical lead for the East London cardiovascular disease prevention programme, said: “Integrating Inclisiran into pharmacy services unlocks a more convenient and equitable way to deliver preventive heart care.”