Free Covid testing kits will help us along path out of restrictions
AS we are beginning to enjoy warmer weather and longer days, we are also beginning to see restrictions being eased across Derby and Derbyshire.
It is great to be able to get out, do some shopping, visit the gym and meet friends and family outdoors.
There is still some way to go until all restrictions are lifted and we would ask that everyone continues to respect the current Government guidelines. Please remember when visiting your local pharmacy to wear a mask and respect the two metre rule.
We are really delighted to announce another way that local pharmacy teams are continuing to support their communities during this pandemic.
This month pharmacies in Derby and Derbyshire are starting to offer free coronavirus (Covid-19) test kits as they help to support the lifting of national restrictions and the pandemic recovery.
The new ‘Pharmacy Collect’ service will make coronavirus test kits – known as lateral flow devices – readily available to people without symptoms free of charge from local community pharmacies.
Anyone can request a box of test kits from the pharmacy counter for regular testing at home or elsewhere.
It is hoped that widening the offer of tests will help to identify Covid-positive cases in the community and break the chain of transmission, avoiding the need for further lockdowns.
You can use the NHS Test and Trace Site Finder map to locate participating pharmacies in your area at maps.testand-trace.nhs.uk
Nearly all pharmacies in Derby and Derbyshire are stocking the test kits, including Boots and Lloyds in Ashbourne.
Lindsey Fairbrother is an Independent Pharmacist at the Goodlife Pharmacy in Hatton and runs the Covid vaccination centre in the village. She is also a member of our Local Pharmaceutical Committee. She says: “As a community pharmacist, I am really excited about starting the Pharmacy Collect service.
Our pharmacy has been offering public health services for several years and my patients have been extremely positive about these.
“There is so much that pharmacists and their teams can do to help our communities as the Covid restrictions are eased. “Community pharmacies are the most accessible healthcare locations; we offer convenient access to medicines and a range of health services without the need for an appointment. This will be of particular value in this service, where we can really help those who may not be able to travel far to access these tests.
“Pharmacy hasn’t stopped during the pandemic: community pharmacies in England continue to have 600,000 informal healthcare consultations a week.
“This shows patients value the convenience of being able to choose to get health services from their local pharmacy.”
By providing testing in pharmacies, it means people across Derby and Derbyshire will have greater access to this service. People visit our pharmacies for advice about their health and medications because we are in a variety of locations and they can drop in at a time that suits them.
We are looking forward to doing our bit as people return to work and education.
This is just one of many examples of how pharmacy teams have helped support patients, the public and the nation during the pandemic.
To find out more about lateral flow devices and all the other services your community pharmacies can offer, we are launching a Facebook page at the end of this month.
Search ‘Community Pharmacy Derbyshire’ from 30 April 2021.
You can also follow us on Twitter @Derbyshirelpc.
This is just one of many examples of how pharmacy teams have helped support the public and the nation