The Database of Good Practice
Pharmacy minor-illness management service
This pharmacy-based service offers patients with a minor illness the option of seeing their community pharmacist as an alternative to making a GP appointment.
| Organisation(s) | West Lincolnshire PCT |
| Organisation type | PCT |
| Professional groups | Pharmacist General Practitioner |
| Themes | Minor illness management Non GP led models of care Wider use of Healthcare professionals |
| Population size | 150000+ |
| County | Lincolnshire |
| Project status | Active |
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Summary
Patients with minor or self-limiting conditions who are eligible for free prescriptions can only receive their medication free of charge by obtaining a GP's prescription. This drives demand for GP appointments from these patients as they seek prescriptions instead of purchasing over-the-counter remedies.
What was the issue?
This requirement for a GP appointment in order to receive free of charge medication is time consuming for the patient and also takes up an appointment that could otherwise be used for a patient with a more serious illness or complaint.
What did they achieve?
The pilot initially involved one practice and two pharmacies. The service has subsequently been rolled out to 10 practices and 16 pharmacies. By the end of 2005, around 4,000 patients had elected to go to the pharmacist with their minor illness. In some of the participating practices, over 150 patients per month access the service. Many of these patients would have previously sought an appointment with their GP.
Key learning points
- It is important that the protocols used are agreed with all the participants.
- The initiative seems to work better in the practices involved in the collaborative. This may be because the collaborative methodology, which brought practices and pharmacists together regularly, developed better and stronger links between the two parties involved.
- The administration of the service to process payment claims by the pharmacies requires dedicated resources at the PCT.
Costs
The work to develop the initiative was part of the PCT's involvement in the medicines management collaborative, which attracts some funding to support work to facilitate the collaborative methodology.
Contacts
Darren Juggins
Medicines Management Facilitator
West Lincolnshire PCT
Cross O'Cliff
Bracebridge Heath
Lincoln LN4 2HN
Tel: 01522 515304
Email: Darren.Juggins@WestLincs-PCT.nhs.uk