Sunday, May 25, 2008

UK pharmacists' role to expand

From the Irish Medical Times:
UK proposals mean that patients could be treated for minor ailments in their local pharmacies and could even be screened there for sexually-transmitted diseases.

Pharmacists look set to have an increased role in patient care in England, as the UK Government has announced plans to extend the role of pharmacies there in dealing with minor illnesses. It plans to allow pharmacists to prescribe for such conditions, affording the patient more convenience and what might often amount to faster treatment.
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A government White Paper – ‘Building on Strengths, Delivering the Future’ — details how pharmacists will complement the work of GPs in promoting health, preventing sickness and providing care for patients that is “more personal and responsive to individual needs”.

UK Health Minister Ben Bradshaw stressed that the proposals are not about pharmacists taking over the work of GPs: “It’s about complementing them, taking pressure off GPs and enabling them to spend more time with those patients who really need it.” ...more

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