Get chemo at chemist under SNP health plan
CANCER drugs could be made available in Scottish pharmacies under radical plans unveiled yesterday.
A strategy to widen the range of health conditions that pharmacists can diagnose and treat has been published by the Scottish Government.
It means chemotherapy drugs that are currently only available from hospitals, as well as treatments for breathing problems and other chronic conditions, could be accessed on the high street without the need for a GP visit.
Medication for urgent medical problems such as shingles, urinary tract infections and impetigo could also be available from pharmacists. Women could even be prescribed the contraceptive pill instead of visiting their doctors or sexual health clinics.
The move is aimed at ‘strengthening’ pharmacy in Scotland and comes amid unrelenting pressure on hospitals and GP services as the NHS struggles with staff shortages across the country.
The plan ‘Achieving Excellence in Pharmaceutical Care’, published yesterday, puts unprecedented responsication bility on pharmacists to serve on the front line for patients with chronic and minor conditions. It sets out plans for them to act as the ‘first port of call’ instead of GPs.
The strategy states that cancer drugs and other medicines which are usually given as part of a hospital outpatient service could be supplied ‘where it is considered safe and appropriate’.
Chemotherapy drugs were once available only through intravenous drips, which meant they were only prescribed in hospitals and hospices.
But with developments in cancer treatments, some are now available as pills, which could be collected from a local pharmacy – avoiding the need for repeated trips to hospital. A new eduby programme will be developed to give pharmacists advanced clinical skills to extend the range of conditions they can diagnose and treat.
The Scottish Government’s Chief Pharmaceutical Officer Dr Rose Marie Parr said: ‘Pharmacy teams in both hospital and the community already play an important role in the provision of NHS services.
‘In the community, we are making good progress in promoting local pharmacies as the first port of call for our most common healthcare needs and I want to encourage more people to see them as their initial point of care.
‘I believe this strategy will support our ambition to deliver world-class pharmaceutical care. The commitments and actions in this strategy will help the public and professions alike realise the true value that pharmacy can bring to our communities and daily lives.’
Martin Green, chairman of Community Pharmacy Scotland, said the body was ‘delighted to see that our core clinical services and skills will be developed and promoted’.
Health Secretary Shona Robison said: ‘This strategy is a vital part of our efforts to transform primary care, enabling more people to be treated at home or in the community and easing pressure on other services.
‘It sets out our priorities for improvements over the next five years – helping to deliver our commitment that every GP practice will have access to a pharmacist with advanced clinical skills by 2021.’
The strategy will also see the role of pharmacies in hospitals strengthened
‘Make pharmacies first port of call’ ‘More people treated at home’
developing a plan to support the delivery of ‘safe, effective and productive working’ across seven days.
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs backed the proposals, saying: ‘We know many people who show up at their GP or casualty probably don’t need to be there. This approach can help ensure they can access the care most beneficial to them and take the pressure off other parts of the health service in the process.’