An investigation into the number and nature of the urgent care consultations managed and referred by community pharmacists in South-East England

Abstract

Background: Community pharmacies are recognised as an under-utilised, accessible resource that could support the urgent care agenda. This study aimed to provide a snapshot of the number and nature of urgent care requests presented to a sample of community pharmacies in three counties in southern England, to determine how requests are managed, whether management is appropriate, as assessed by a group of experts, and whether customers receiving the care are satisfied with pharmacists’ interventions. Methods: A representative sample of pharmacists across the region was invited to keep a log-book documenting all urgent care requests over a two-week period. Data were analysed to estimate frequency and type of requests and to compare consultations in core and non-core hours. Log-book entries were scrutinised blind by an expert panel to determine appropriateness of pharmacist’s responses. Customers receiving pharmacists’ interventions were surveyed to assess satisfaction. Results: Seventeen pharmacies kept log-books detailing 432 urgent care consultations, equating to 13 consultations per pharmacy per week. Of these, 70% (n = 302) were dealt with by the pharmacist in-house with 30% (n = 130) resulting in referrals. Locum pharmacists were significantly more likely to refer to other NHS services than regular pharmacists. Over half the requests were for symptom management, skin problems presenting most commonly (38% of all symptoms presented). Forty-seven percent of consultations were considered to have ‘averted the need for other NHS services’. Pharmacists’ referral (but not assessment of urgency) was deemed appropriate by the expert panel in 90% of consultations. Ninety-five percent of customers surveyed were satisfied with the service and would use the pharmacy again. Conclusion: Extrapolating findings across the study population (approximately 4.4 million) suggests that community pharmacists manage over 11 500 urgent care consultations per week, with 8050 managed independently. These prevent approximately 5400 other NHS encounters, while also meeting customer expectations and expert panel endorsement.

Evaluating the relationship between information literacy and evidence-based nursing and their impact on knowledge and attitude of nurses working in hospitals affiliated to Kerman University of Medical Sciences on medication errors

“…[ 3 ] In global nursing education, patient safety is becoming increasingly integrated into the curricula based on actual healthcare. [ 4 ] Nurses play an important role in preventing medication errors and in administering safe drugs. Accordingly, before they work in real situations of care, nursing students should have adequate competencies regarding medication safety.…”

Evaluating the implementation of a referral system for virtual pharmacy counselling in a province-wide nurse phone line

“…This type of service is aligned with an evolving role of community pharmacists for minor ailment or urgent care consultations in some jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, especially since the pandemic onset. [24][25][26] Our results suggested a limited adoption of the 811-AYP bridge by 811 nurses (call handlers), in relation to a perceived low added value of the technology, both for themselves, but also for patients. While the need for pharmaceutical expertise was expressed by nurses, the AYP bridge was not clearly complementing the existing services with community pharmacies (e.g.…”

“…This type of service is aligned with an evolving role of community pharmacists for minor ailment or urgent care consultations in some jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, especially since the pandemic onset. 24 – 26 …”

Community Pharmacists’ Recommendations in Handling a Self-Medication Request for Bloody Diarrhea: A Survey in an Indonesian Urban Setting

“…43 Beberapa penelitian terpublikasi menunjukkan nilai strategis dari kontribusi apoteker komunitas dalam melakukan triage kasus yang membutuhkan rujukan dan tidak. [44][45][46] Ketersediaan pedoman dan protokol mengenai penanganan masalah kesehatan di komunitas telah terbukti dapat meningkatkan akurasi apoteker dalam pemberian rekomendasi. 47 Apabila apoteker komunitas mampu menjalankan perannya dengan optimal, sumber daya pada fasilitas kesehatan lain dapat dioptimalkan untuk mengatasi masalah kesehatan yang tidak dapat ditangani oleh apoteker komunitas.…”