Help 2 Health leaflet display - preventative advice for patients

June 2008

UNDER the plans in the Government's White Paper, pharmacies are facing their greatest challenge yet – and for many the changes seem daunting.

After years with a secondary role very much in the shadow of GPs, the government wants pharmacies to build on their place in their communities and reach out to a wider audience.

The blueprint for change outlined by the Government allows for new opportunities as pharmacies become 'healthy living centres' – and while question marks remain over how the changes will be funded, there's no doubting the changes will come.

Pharmacy Leaflets

Sundeep Nagra, Pharmacy Ethical Buyer for Numark, explained the future role of pharmacies had been the focus of their recent spring conference in Nottingham .

He said in the future pharmacies could no longer just rely on income from prescriptions and retail sales.

The Government wants them to have a more pro-active role in the healthcare of the nation and that means expanding their services and offering more preventative advice.

“The Government wants pharmacists to play an important role in healthcare and in the next few years we will see many changes. It could take many years to happen or it could start quite soon – and we need to be prepared. That's why Numark is offering this support to its members,” he said.

As part of the changes, pharmacies will be required to offer more information on medical conditions and health promotion – and that's where Sundeep believes the Help 2 Health service will be invaluable to pharmacies.

“Pharmacies have an important community role and rather than just dispensing and selling toiletries, the Government wants them to have areas dedicated to information and that means leaflets.

“At the conference we set up a mock-up of a pharmacy of the future – it was a vision of what the healthy living centre may look like.

“There were diagnostic booths for screening and preventative work, robot dispensing to allow the pharmacist to have more of a presence in his shop and an H2H leaflet stand, stocked with leaflets and with space available for information from the pharmacist's local primary care trust,” he said.

Patient Education

Pharmacies are mainly used by the elderly and young mums but the Government is keen for pharmacies to reach out to men, who traditionally do not go to their GP until they absolutely have to – and for some it may be too late. Leaflet stands provide an essential method of educating patients in such circumstances.

“When they come in to buy their shampoo or deodorant, the idea is that the pharmacist can talk to them about health checks,” he said.

“It's important to prepare for the changes ahead and we hope our members will take up the challenge with our support,” he said.

“The reaction form Numark Pharmacists to Help 2 Health has surpassed our very best expectations,” says Sarah O’Reilly. “Patients are taking leaflets and discussing their concerns with their pharmacist, even on sensitive issues, and pharmacists are able to direct customers to the display when specific questions are raised."

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