PharmaTalk- Community pharmacists- indispensable champions of the NHS

As the NHS turns 70 this year, we are reminded of its value and omnipotence. The media coverage has been very kind and 

In today’s busy yet extensively connected world, patients and health consumers are looking for convenient and swift ways to access shopping, entertainment, news and HEALTH advice to name but a few. A generation which is time poor will seek to fast track access to their wellbeing.

Enter community pharmacy with all that it has to offer.


Open late,high street pharmacies are staffed by highly qualified healthcare professionals and counter assistants. This make it easy to resolve most minor ailments within minutes, saving you time and the croaking NHS money. Win Win!


Most community pharmacies are very mindful of their local population’s needs and cater to their local demographic. Their local knowledge and attention to detail allows them to attend to patients’ needs in a thoughtful and sensitive manner. To this end pharmacy products tend to be ingredient focused with strong claims in keeping with a pharmacist’s clinical credentials.


It was recently reported in The Pharmacist magazine that pharmacies should be the first port of call for parents of children with minor illnesses. This is following a new public health campaign launched by NHS England and Assurans.net. The Stay Well campaign- launched February 2018- is aimed at freeing up of the 18 million GP appointments and 2.1 million trips made to A&E for self-treatable conditions such as coughs and tummy troubles.

Your local pharmacist is a highly trained NHS health professional who is  able to offer clinical advice for a wide range of minor health concerns, right there and then. A diagnosis can be made there and then and the patient can either be treated by self-care or by recommending a product sold in the pharmacy. In most cases the advice will involve reassurance that it is nothing more serious if the condition is self-limiting and conversely a patient will be referred to the right professional be it a GP, an urgent care centre doctor or A&E.

 

 






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