08 September 2006
Pharmacists' duties have been further extended this week as the government seeks to offer patients an alternative to GP care.
Health minister Andy Burnham said high-street chemists could develop special interests in long-term conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. With the appropriate training they will be able to hold clinics in their premises and help patients with chronic illnesses to manage their conditions. Primary care trusts will assess local needs and commission pharmacists with special interests in appropriate clinical disciplines.
Burnham said this scheme would complement the pharmacy contract that was implemented last year. This allows PCTs to commission high-street pharmacists to provide basic or higher levels of care. The latter includes reviewing patients' medicines and running smoking cessation clinics. Many have extended or altered their premises so they can have a private room to consult with patients.
'The development of services that pharmacists with special interests will be providing is a key part of reform in the NHS,' Burnham added.
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain president Hemant Patel said: 'Pharmacists are going to be helping people with long-term illnesses to cope with their treatment outside hospital. It will mean that more people can enjoy a better quality of life in their own home.'
PFsep2006
