The Company Chemists Association (CCA) has published a report highlighting the key findings of a roundtable it hosted earlier this month.
The CCA convened the virtual roundtable to examine the best practice undertaken by a cross-section of LPCs to promote the delivery of the Pharmacy First service.
Key recommendations for how LPCs can help support pharmacy contractors to deliver the Pharmacy First service include:
- Direct engagement with NHS regions who can supply funding to drive Pharmacy First engagement and promotional activity.
- Engagement with a variety of staff within GP surgeries, ranging from reception staff to GP partners, to drive referrals, as well as build understanding and awareness of the benefits to General Practice.
- Harnessing data to inform GP surgeries how they are performing locally
- Using data to ensure pharmacies close any open referrals promptly.
- Using multiple channels to promote the service, including the sharing of best practice, myth busting, use of data and creating tools which can be readily used by pharmacies and GPs.
- Encouraging pharmacy staff to highlight the Pharmacy First service to customers – with specific emphasis on the provision of NHS-funded care, timely access and convenience the service provides.
The CCA said the report is intended to support all LPCs and pharmacy contractors as they work together to care for patients requiring urgent NHS care in their community.
“The sector is estimated to have moved up to 1.2 million patient appointments from General Practice to community pharmacy so far. We also continue to see week-on-week growth of the service,” Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the CCA, said.
“Whilst the launch and rollout of the service has largely been successful, we know there is plenty more to do to increase patient awareness and GP referrals, and to address regional variation.
“LPCs hold a crucial role in working with pharmacy contractors and key local and regional stakeholders to drive the success of Pharmacy First. We hope that this report proves useful to the entire LPC network as together we all continue to prove the value of Pharmacy First to patients, primary care and the NHS as a whole”.
