Pharmacists in Wales 'could help GPs treat ailments'

Pharmacists could 'treat minor ailments'

Patients with minor health problems should go to their local pharmacist rather than their GP, according to the body representing pharmacies in Wales.

Community Pharmacy Wales says the NHS could save at least £30m a year, if patients with common ailments were treated by pharmacists and not GPs.

Pharmacy-based services for minor health problems are currently available only in Torfaen and Flintshire.

The Welsh Assembly Government says it is monitoring their effectiveness.

A pharmacy-led service for minor ailments has been running in Torfaen for around two years.

When it comes to medicines these are the professionals Russell Goodway, Community Pharmacy Wales

Patients with common health problems including migraine, stomach disorders, head lice and eye infections are encouraged to see a pharmacist rather than a GP.

Paul Harris, who manages high street pharmacies in south east Wales, said the service was a great success.

"Patients really find it beneficial," he told The Politics Show Wales.

"Many GP surgeries are closed on the weekend and the pharmacist is often available at times when the GP is not."

Clinical professionals

Russell Goodway, chief executive of Community Pharmacy Wales, said pharmacists were more than capable of dealing with patients' minor health problems.

"These are clinical professionals and when it comes to medicines these are the professionals," he said.

"In terms of managing your medicines and what medicines can do to help you with an ailment the professional is not the doctor, the professional is the pharmacist."

Mr Goodway said the NHS could make "massive savings" if the Torfaen and Flintshire schemes were rolled out nationwide.

Drop-in centres

"There's £30m to be saved from switching the delivery of these sorts of services from GP practices into community pharmacy, and that's a lot of money," he said.

"An ordinary consultation that you get with a GP costs the NHS around £32.

"The same sort of consultation in a community pharmacy costs the health service about £17."

The One Wales coalition agreement between Labour and Plaid Cymru commits the Assembly Government - which has set up an expert group to look at the issue - to improving access to pharmacy-based drop-in centres.

A spokesperson said: "The group published its initial report in September 2009 and it stated that it needed to do further work to look at the effectiveness of minor ailment services, which is now under way."

The Politics Show Wales can be seen from 1200 GMT on Sunday and on the BBC iPlayer.