Editorial
Welcome to the first homepage edition of i2P for 2012.
In many ways it has been a slow start to the New Year because of having to deal with the “leftovers” from 2011.
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Columns
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Linda Bryant: Inside NZ
Loretta Marron BSc: Health Watch
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Volume 2012 Number 1
Health Politics
Neil Johnston: Friends of Science in Medicine
Peter Sayers: Confessions of a Frustrated Pharmacist
James Ellerson: $75.5 million in 5CPA lying idle. Why is it so?EPublications
UK Walk-In Clinics Gain Traction
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Editing and Researching news and stories about global and local Pharmacy Issues | |
Walk-in clinics in pharmacy is an idea that is now gaining traction around the world.
Long established in the US, they are now appearing in the UK - with one great difference - the UK model is staffed mostly by pharmacists with only a small number of nurse-led clinics.
All are funded by government.
If this type of clinic was to gain sufficient traction in Australia, plus receive government funding, an easing of the oversupply of pharmacists in some parts of Australia would possibly result, as well as ease pressure on GP's.
Boots, a chain pharmacy group in the UK is providing walk-in services during extended hours to ease pressure on GPs and hospitals.
Pharmacists at a Boots store in Edinburgh have started to provide walk-in services during extended opening hours this month as part of the Pharmore pilot project funded by the Scottish Government.
It's really just a more professional and properly resourced version of the old style counter prescribing, but this time in privacy, plus being paid for the service.
Four pharmacists at the store have been trained to assess and treat a variety of acute minor conditions, including skin infections, cystitis and respiratory infections, with the aim of taking pressure off GPs and accident and emergency departments. Links are in place to allow any patients who cannot be treated in the pharmacy to be referred to other more appropriate services.
In Australia, this type of service is more likely to generate a higher level of sick notes and GP referrals, because the structure of a clinic enables proper patient records to be established.
The Pharmore pilot project was launched in 2008 and involves eight pharmacies in Aberdeen, Airdrie, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee. Each pharmacy offers slightly different walk-in services, which involves some nurse-led minor illness and injury clinics, sexual health advice and treatment, and diagnostic tests.
Pat Murray, director of pharmacy at NHS Lothian, said: “This is a welcome addition to our Pharmore pilot project.
“The ability to drop in and get health advice, treatment and medication from community pharmacists with expert knowledge will, I am sure, be welcomed by residents, shoppers and visitors in Lothian.”
The pilot project was initially going to run until March 2010 but has been extended and an evaluation is now expected to be completed later this year. The evaluation will help to decide what walk-in services could be introduced in other health board areas in the future, a spokeswoman for the Scottish Government confirmed.
Research Reports
Dr Andrew Byrne & Associates: Tranquillizer use rife amongst OTP subjects world-wide, most legally prescribedPractice Development
Neil Retallick: Are the discounters impacting community pharmacy beyond margin erosion? | open full screen
Kay Dunkley - BPharm, Grad Dip Hosp Pharm, Grad Dip Health Admin, MPS, MSHPA: Support services for pharmacists and doctors in the United Kingdom – Part 3 Royal Medical Benevolent Fund | open full screen
Staff Writer: Catch the early wave in 2012 and secure your valuable CPD Credits at the Guild Pharmacy Academy – NSW Convention | open full screen
Information Technology
Dr David More: Australian Health Information Technology LinksIndigenous Health
Preventive Medicine
Gerald Quigley: It’s Time!If any difficulty is found in subscribing, please use the "Contact Us" panel found in the navigation bar with the message "subscribe" and your email address.
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