Community Pharmacy Consultation Service

How does the service work?

The service works in the following way:

• The patient contacts the GP practice
• Our Care Navigators will answer the call, will ask you some questions about what is wrong and the patient is then triaged · Where appropriate, if you're calling about a minor condition for example, the Care Navigator will refer you to the community pharmacy
• The patient then attends the community pharmacy for a same-day appointment (over the phone or face to face) and treatment

How can a community pharmacist help me?

Community pharmacists are highly qualified and experienced in providing clinical advice and care (including recommending over the counter treatments) for minor injuries and conditions. They will offer you a same-day consultation via the phone, or in person, which can be arranged quickly and at a time to suit you.

Your pharmacist will take your medical history, ask about your symptoms and any current medication you might be taking. Following the consultation, the pharmacist will offer you self-care advice and if appropriate, offer you an over-the-counter product. The pharmacist will make a record of the outcome of your consultation and send it to your GP.

If, having given you advice/treatment, your pharmacist identifies you need further specialist help they will be able to refer you back to your GP or onto another health service for support.

Community pharmacists have already successfully seen thousands of patients for a consultation for a minor condition, following patient calls to NHS 111 and through GPs around the country who have already been implementing the Community Pharmacy Consultation Service.

Evidence shows advice provided by community pharmacists results in the same outcome, as if the patient went to see their GP or attended an emergency department.

What are the advantages of the GP Community Pharmacy Consultation Service?

There are a number of benefits to using this service, including:

• Community pharmacies are local, open longer hours than the GP practice and can offer you a consultation at a time that is more convenient for you either on the phone, in person or through a video consultation.
• If the pharmacist thinks you need to see the GP or other health professional, they can help arrange an urgent appointment for you.
• This will help ensure as patients you receive the right care, in the right place, with the right person and at the right time.
• Introducing this new service frees up GP appointments for those people with more complex symptoms that need the support of a GP

Do I need to contact the practice if I want to speak to a pharmacist about a minor illness or injury?

You don’t need to call us first before speaking to a community pharmacist.

Pharmacists are experts in medicine who can help with your minor health concerns and you don’t need a referral from us to ask for their help.

The Community Pharmacy Consultation Service is simply another aspect of the triaging we can offer to anyone who does contact us about a health concern.

More information

For more information on how a pharmacy can help you with minor health concerns, minor injuries, with questions about your prescription or with over the counter medicines please visit the following link.

NHS - How your pharmacy can help