Have you ever been advised by your GP, a nurse, or even 111 to talk to a pharmacist about a medical issue?
In the UK, pharmacists that work for the NHS ensure patient safety, as well as effective medication use, while also easing the pressure on both GP’s and A&E departments.
If you aren’t entirely sure about the role of pharmacists in your care, read on to learn more about it.
Dispensing Medications
One of the main roles of a pharmacist is dispensing medication, as well as other day to day pharmacy services. These can include helping patients to choose the most suitable over-the-counter medication, assisting with health checks, answering questions about medication, and triaging the severity of illnesses.
A community pharmacy may even offer more specialised services, such as health checks for pregnant women, or for those who are over a certain age.
Provide Clinical Services
A pharmacist will offer advice and treatment for minor issues to reduce the pressure on other healthcare professionals, such as a local GP practice. These include common colds, headaches, migraines, skin issues, and common health complaints in children, such as headlice. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can also administer vaccines without patients having to book an appointment, and is trained to answer any questions that a patient may have about the side effects.
Prescribing Medications
Many pharmacists undertake additional training at pharmacy schools to become independent prescribers of medicine. This has allowed them to prescribe medications for common ailments like high blood pressure without the need for an NHS GP or a nurse to provide input.
In some hospitals, you may even find pharmacists working alongside specialists, to help with treatment plans and medication, ensuring that it is tailored to the individuals needs. This is known as collaborative prescribing and brings the knowledge that these trained professionals have of the pharmaceutical industry into care plans to make sure that each patient is safe.
Supporting the NHS in Hospitals
Pharmacists often work in hospitals, and are there to ensure the safety of the medication for both the inpatients and the outpatients. This role may involve interaction with patients on the wards, as well as working closely with doctors, specialists and nurses to devise the most suitable treatment plans, alongside monitoring the progress of the patients on different medications and assessing the effects.
Pharmacists in hospitals can also help with the medication plans of patients when they leave the hospital, making sure that they continue to receive the best care at home.
Emergency Care
There are also urgent care pharmacies, that patients in the community may be referred to by an NHS service like 111. These pharmacies are equipped to provide out-of-hours care, as well as provide patients with their emergency prescriptions if needed. They can also advise patients on the best steps to take to get treatment in the cases of medical emergencies, by acting as a community triage point. This reduces the strain on hospitals and doctor’s surgeries, and also allows patients to get the best care that they can without needing to make a GP appointment.
If you would like to know more about your nearest urgent care pharmacy, please contact us here.
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