NHS England has highlighted the “valuable contribution” community pharmacists can make to local urgent care programmes.

Using pharmacists to conduct medicines reviews and manage repeat prescriptions could create “headroom” for GPs and other health professionals to manage patients with more serious conditions, the commissioning body said in guidance on urgent and emergency care published yesterday (September 1).

NHS England also highlighted the value of community pharmacies providing flu vaccinations, support for minor ailments and urgent access to medicines.

It urged GP practice receptions, urgent care centres and the NHS 111 service to all have “protocols to direct patients to community pharmacies [if] these can appropriately respond to a patient’s needs”, and repeated its call for directories of local health services to “reflect community pharmacy opening hours”.

The commissioning body also mentioned pharmacists in a wider urgent care context. It highlighted that they could help care home patients who have suffered a fall and suggested that ambulance services should consider creating “clinical hubs” in their control rooms, using pharmacists and other clinicians to “ensure the timeliness and appropriateness of responses to patients”.

"A welcome first step"

Royal Pharmaceutical Society English Pharmacy Board chair Sandra Gidley said the document shows that the sector’s contribution is “increasingly being recognised”. “This is a very welcome first step on the road to more joined-up services from pharmacies,” she said.

NHS England also used the document to confirm its support for the rollout of summary care record access as a way to support urgent care services, and Ms Gidley stressed it is “essential” that “key patient information” is shared across healthcare providers.

The RPS has collated examples of pharmacists supporting urgent and emergency care and wants to see these replicated across England, she added. 

In July, NHS England revealed that two of its "vanguard" emergency care sites were planning to work with community pharmacists.

How do you support urgent care services in your area?

We want to hear your views, but please express them in the spirit of a constructive, professional debate. For more information about what this means, please click here to see our community principles and information