Medical Centre

Pharmacies in England to begin treating patients for seven common conditions. How can we work successfully across the health and care system to make a success of Pharmacy First? 1. The Pharmacy First scheme aims to provide convenient access to healthcare through community pharmacies. Patients with minor ailments or common conditions can seek advice and treatment directly from their local pharmacy instead of visiting a general practice, urgent care centre or emergency department. The conditions covered by the scheme may vary depending on local funding arrangements and participation of pharmacies.  2, A potential problem with Pharmacy First is pharmacists misdiagnosing a patient's condition. It may also lead to delays in patients seeing doctors when medical assessment is needed. To mitigate these risks, appropriate safeguards and referral pathways should be established, ensuring timely medical assessment when necessary. The scheme will also increase the workload of pharmacies, thereb...

In recent years, the UK has repeatedly suffered from shortages of many key drugs. As well as creating extra work for doctors and pharmacists, these shortages are also very stressful for patients. The government has recently published details of how it might address this issue. We need effective implementation of these plans as well. In particular, we need a combination of a strong UK manufacturing base to produce the drugs the NHS needs along with secure contracts with overseas suppliers.  Developing a robust domestic manufacturing base for pharmaceuticals offer several benefits. It reduces reliance on international supply chains, which can be vulnerable to global events, trade disputes, and logistical challenges. UK manufacturing can also facilitate quicker responses to the UK’s health needs and stimulate economic growth and job creation within the UK. However, building such infrastructure requires substantial investment, time, and expertise. While bolstering domestic production, ...

The UKHSA has warned that the UK is seeing a surge in measles cases ; putting at risk the health of children and others who are unvaccinated. What can primary care teams do to boost measles vaccine uptake in their patients and help bring the number of measles cases down?  In this post, I list some of the key steps in implementing measles (MMR) vaccination in your practice and raising vaccine uptake. This guidance can also be used by primary care providers in other countries. 1. Give one member of the practice team responsibility for leading the vaccination programme, supported by the wider practice team. 2. Ensure that all staff are informed about the programme; including who is eligible; and the benefits of vaccination for the individual patient, their family, the NHS and society. There are many free online programmes on vaccination and addressing vaccine hesitancy for health professionals. Ensure that vaccination is discussed regularly at team meetings to review progress and addr...