Breaking: Well Pharmacy joins Oxford trial for Covid-19 treatment to raise awareness

Well Pharmacy has teamed up with an Oxford university trial for coronavirus treatment to support its most vulnerable and at-risk patients and members of staff.

The independent pharmacy chain is helping fight Covid-19 by supporting the PRINCIPLE trial, one of the UK’s four national priority platform trials on the disease.

The PRINCIPLE trial looks at evaluating the use of commonly used antibiotics in the treatment of coronavirus within the community and is endorsed by the chief medical officers of the four UK nations.

It is a nationwide clinical trial from the University of Oxford for the over-50s and aims to slow or halt the early progression of Covid-19 and prevent the need for hospital admission.

Working closely with Prof Mahendra Patel, the national BAME community and pharmacy lead at PRINCIPLE, Well will reach out to the communities it serves and publicise the trial through its website in order to help recruit people aged 50 and over with underlying health conditions, or everyone aged over 65, into the trial via the company’s 750 pharmacies up and down the UK.

Welcoming The UK’s largest independent pharmacy chain aboard, Prof Patel said: “Pharmacy teams are firmly embedded within the hearts of many communities throughout the UK and play an important role in improving public health and reducing health inequalities.

"So not surprisingly I am absolutely delighted to have Well Pharmacy on board in supporting this important work and the fight against Covid-19 pandemic, which disproportionately affects some more than others.”

Regardless of where people live in the UK, those with coronavirus symptoms can be pre-screened for eligibility by the PRINCIPLE team in the comfort of their own home. The team from Oxford will monitor the symptoms of those recruited for a period of 28 days and all information, including treatment, will be couriered to the homes of those participating. There will be no need for any face-to-face contact.

Janice Perkins, pharmacy superintendent at Well, said: “Supporting and promoting this vital research to our patients and customers across the thousands of local communities we serve, is enormously important to us.

"We want to do all we can to help slow or halt the progression of Covid-19, particularly supporting those aged 50 and our BAME communities who are more vulnerable during these difficult times.

"I would urge any of our customers and patients or their family and friends who may be affected by Covid-19 and are eligible, to contact us and take part in this trial.”

Well Pharmacy told Pharmacy Business today (Oct 17) that it would be raising awareness of the trial and reaching out to the wider communities it serves throughout UK.