Pharmacies 'could play greater role'

[Northerner]

Pharmacies should be providing a wider range of health services because of their excellent reach into communities, researchers say.

A study by Durham University suggests 89% of England's population live within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy.

In deprived areas, the proportion was nearly 100%.

The researchers said with more support pharmacies could provide everything from blood-pressure checks and diabetes screening to lifestyle advice.

Some pharmacies already do this, but researchers said it very much depended on whether local health bosses were willing to fund them.

Lead author Dr Adam Todd said: "These results show that pharmacies are well-placed in the community to deliver public health services.

"This is particularly important for the poorest areas where more people die from conditions such as smoking, alcohol misuse and obesity compared to people from more affluent areas.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-28756494

Hmm...my local pharmacy is as busy as my GP surgery 🙄

 

[MacG3]

These reports from universities always make me giggle a bit. So basically some students plotted pharmacies against where people live and threw some words based around a common medical problem. Of course they then asked for more funding for their masters and doctorates 🙂

You could swap "pharmacies" for "off licenses" or up north "vaping shops". But that doesn't mean I'm still happy getting medical advice of what is basically a shop assistant.

I haven't read the news today, what is the status of red wine? Is it good for me today? It seems to change on a daily basis from a magic elixir to a deadly poison!

😡 Sorry, rant over!

 

[FergusC]

These reports from universities always make me giggle a bit. So basically some students plotted pharmacies against where people live and threw some words based around a common medical problem. Of course they then asked for more funding for their masters and doctorates 🙂

You could swap "pharmacies" for "off licenses" or up north "vaping shops". But that doesn't mean I'm still happy getting medical advice of what is basically a shop assistant.

I haven't read the news today, what is the status of red wine? Is it good for me today? It seems to change on a daily basis from a magic elixir to a deadly poison!

😡 Sorry, rant over!

MacG3,
I prefer to speak to my pharmacist who with at least a Masters is higher in qualifications than the practice nurse who is the highest I can get to speak to on D issues at the surgery.

 

[Northerner]

MacG3,
I prefer to speak to my pharmacist who with at least a Masters is higher in qualifications than the practice nurse who is the highest I can get to speak to on D issues at the surgery.

Indeed, the pharmacist usually knows much more about medications and their side-effects and interactions. The one at my pharmacy simply would not have time to stand and chat though if you just turned up.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Did they speak to English speaking pharmacists? I ask because the one who does the relief work at my local pharmacy has a bit more than a slight difficulty in understanding English.

 

[FergusC]

Did they speak to English speaking pharmacists? I ask because the one who does the relief work at my local pharmacy has a bit more than a slight difficulty in understanding English.

Same could be said of some GPs😱

 

[bill hopkinson]

My pharmacists are good, they enjoy answering my questions and the chance to be more intelligent than a warehouseman.
Once a year I sit down with my pharmacist and review my medications. Four sheets of medications so it takes a while. One time he suggested that I take a medication at a different time of day, another he suggested I asked me GP to review whether two medications might interfere with each other, and that resulted in a changed prescription.
I don't regard pharmacist, diabetic nurse or GP as authority figures but people who have training and expertise that can help me to understand and take decisions.