Chairmans Blog: There is nothing minor about the new Minor Ailment Scheme in South Tyneside

Great News Everyone!
 
The LPC has been working with the CCG in South Tyneside for a long time now on a complete re-boot of the minor ailment scheme...with a much bigger formulary and proper referral into community pharmacy. 
 
In April the new service begins...with a soft launch initially, followed by full-on marketing as THINK PHARMACY FIRST.
 
The new service launch event later this month will familiarise everybody with the formulary and indications. I’m sure you will be pleased with the range of products we can supply on the new service, but, in addition more products including some on PGD will follow in due course. 
 
Members of the public will be able to access treatments for common ailments from the network of community pharmacies in a similar manner to that offered by the GP, walk-in-centres or accident and emergency at a fraction of the cost to the NHS – and more conveniently in a much timelier manner.
 
The pharmacies in South Tyneside will act as mini walk-in centres themselves!!
 
Not only that, but patients will be actively referred into pharmacies from other providers - and eventually from NHS 111 also!
 
There’ll be a lot of advertising all over the place to position pharmacy firmly at the centre of this part of urgent care.
 
There's nothing minor about this new minor ailment scheme...and it’s going to get better.

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