Chairmans Blog: Chocks away! - Think Pharmacy First

All throughout my professional career as a community pharmacist, I’ve hoped that the skills of a pharmacist could be better utilised by society...and for many years on the LPC, I’ve been working towards this aim by leading our attempts to revitalise the current minor ailment scheme to be a bold new service...a service where the public can access a vast range of medicines for an increasing range of conditions “quickly and conveniently” from community pharmacy instead of accessing other more expensive services (GP, Walk in centres or Accident & Emergency departments). 
 
Well, finally, here we are with a shiny new minor ailment service in South Tyneside – a bigger formulary, fuller list of conditions to treat and the promise that the lists will keep on growing – the time for pharmacy managing minor ailments in South Tyneside is now. 
 
The 39 pharmacies we have will provide helpful easy access to minor ailments for patients; and will definitely reduce the strain on our overstretched GP colleagues, and other services. 
 
This is a win-win for everybody.
 
There’s been a soft launch so far last month, but in the coming months prepare for a lot of publicity and signposting into community pharmacy.
 
My plea to pharmacy colleagues, then, is to embrace minor ailments -  remove the chocks, and let’s fly with this new service and really show we can make a difference!!!


Recently the Royal Pharmaceutical Society have produced the following video to help highlight minor ailments services.  This couldn't have come at a more timely manner for our local "Think Pharmacy First"service

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