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Regional Matters: Scotland

Regional Matters: Scotland

By Professor John Cromarty, chair of the Scottish Pharmacy Board

Anyone following current affairs will have seen the media headlines regarding the NHS. Winter pressures are a recurring theme each year and with this year's flu vaccine apparently being only 3 per cent effective, 2015 is no different.

NHS 24 medical director, Professor George Crooks, earlier this month stated that its service (similar to NHS 111 in England) is under such pressure that it may not be able to cope long-term.

GPs are struggling to keep up with demand and A&E departments are struggling to deliver on targets set out in statute.

Crucially, many patients are not receiving the healthcare they need in a timely manner. Pharmacists don't have a magic wand to make this all go away, but the RPS believes that we can be part of the solution.

The 2014 MINA study showed that the prevalence of A&E and GP consultations deemed to involve minor ailments suitable for management in community pharmacy was 5.3 and 13.2 per cent respectively.

These findings suggest that:

  • Community pharmacy should be more strongly positioned as the first point of call for many common ailments, thus easing pressures on other NHS services (e.g. NHS 24, GPs and A&Es), and supporting patients self-managing
  • Pharmacists should be an integral part of A&E departments when people present to ensure care pathways are optimised for patient benefit €“ something that is already being piloted in some hospitals in Scotland.

Reviews underway

The RPS will be responding to the Scottish Government's public health review, both to outline where pharmacy can play a further role that will benefit patients, and how pharmacists can be integrated better into the wider healthcare system to help relieve pressures and reduce demand on acute services.

We are also pleased to be part of the review of out-of-hours in primary care as we believe there is even more scope for utilising pharmacists' expertise as part of a multi-disciplinary response. Crucially though, patients and the public must be made more aware of the role pharmacists play in their healthcare.

During the early summer period RPS Scotland will therefore engage directly with patients and patient groups with a view to developing relevant information materials about pharmacy's role, which will be made available to the public and patients later this year.

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