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The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) is encouraging individuals to visit their local pharmacy for the treatment of minor ailments to avoid unnecessary days off from work, save the NHS money and improve patient care. A new NPA poll revealed that 55 per cent of workers missed at least one day of work last year due to coughs, colds, and other minor illnesses. The survey, which involved over 2,000 patients and was conducted by Research without Barriers, found that 31 per cent of respondents were absent from work for 1-6 days, 15 per cent for a week, 12 per cent for two weeks and 3 per cent for three weeks. This polling is part of the NPA's Ask Your Pharmacist Week campaign, which aims to dispel common myths around minor ailments and encourage greater use of local pharmacies for medical treatment. In England, pharmacies can now provide NHS treatments for a range of common ailments through the Pharmacy First Service, including ear infections, impetigo, shingles, sinusitis, sore throat, infected insect bites and uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs). However, 36 per cent of people surveyed were unaware of the Pharmacy First service, with 20 per cent believing such ailments could only be treated by their GP.

The Community Pharmacy Walk-In Consultation Service (WICS), offering treatment for various minor ailments, recorded 19,567 consultations in 2024. This marks a 61 per cent increase compared to the 12,138 consultations recorded in 2023, according to data released by Community Pharmacy Cornwall (CPC) and obtained by The Pharmaceutical Journal. Launched in community pharmacies across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in January 2021, the minor ailment scheme is commissioned by the NHS and CPC. It enables locally accredited community pharmacists to supply prescription-only-medicines (POMs) for the treatment of several common conditions utilising patient group directions (PGDs) that Pharmacy First does not currently cover. These include vaginal candidiasis (vaginal thrush), dermatitis, migraine, conjunctivitis, and emergency hormonal contraception. Since its launch, the service has facilitated over 38,000 consultations, with 80 per cent of them resulting in advice or treatment that concluded the consultation in the pharmacy. WICS data also indicates that the service has helped avoid an estimated 30,000 GP appointments and more than 500 inappropriate A&E visits since its inception.

This Pharmacy First Common Ailments service will help patients seek treatment for seven common conditions directly from a pharmacy without the need for a GP appointment or prescription. Launching on 31 January next year although it is subject to IT being ready, the service will cover ailments including "sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs)" in women. People with symptoms of the above seven conditions will be supplied with a prescription-only treatment under a Patient Group Direction (PGD). Patients seeking assistance at the pharmacy, whether walk-in or referred by NHS 111, GPs, or other sources, can receive consultations. The new service includes self-referring patients plus referrals, and the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) will also be a part of it.

The much-awaited Pharmacy First service has been launched in England, enabling patients to get treatment for seven common conditions from their community pharmacists without needing to see a GP. According to NHS England, a total of 10,265 community pharmacies, which is equivalent to more than nine in ten community pharmacies in the country, will be offering the ground-breaking initiative. The new scheme allows highly trained pharmacists to give advice and prescription-only medicines for minor ailments including sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women (under the age of 65). With this major expansion of pharmacy services, the NHS is aiming to free up 10 million GP appointments a year while giving the public more choice in where and how they access care.

The annual UK-wide public awareness campaign, Ask Your Pharmacist Week, organised by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), has begun today (4 November). The campaign theme, "Professional and Convenient Healthcare, from Your Local Pharmacy Team", aims to highlight the skills and knowledge of community pharmacists and the wider pharmacy team, and their track record of safely delivering clinical services. Furthermore, it emphasises that community pharmacists work closely with GPs and the rest of the local healthcare team to make sure patients get the best possible care. The central message of this year's campaign is: "Your local pharmacy team is highly skilled and well equipped to provide convenient clinical care, including treatment for common illnesses, as part of the wider local NHS team." Throughout the week, pharmacies across the country will promote their expertise and services, including NHS-supported treatments for common ailments.

The NHS plans to train hundreds of pharmacy staff, expanding their ability to provide advanced clinical services and assume wider roles in dispensing medicines. With a targeted launch in September, up to 840 pharmacy technicians can join in the training programme. The online modules will cover consultation skills, therapeutics, clinical decision-making, assessment skills, and service improvement. "Community pharmacies are pivotal in local communities, and this novel training scheme empowers them to extend their service offerings to a wider patient base," said Health Minister Neil O'Brien. "Through our investment in the workforce, we're bolstering the implementation of the Pharmacy First initiative with £645 million, ensuring patients have access to expert assistance for various common ailments, including urinary tract infections and earaches." NHS said the training will offer flexibility to align with the working schedules and prior experience of community pharmacy technicians. It will combine independent online e-course study, educational supervision, and clinical skills training. Facilitated workshops will concentrate on enhancing clinical assessment skills and applying knowledge and skills through case studies, practice activities, and group discussions.

The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) launched a report on pharmacy-led common ailment schemes. The data was collected from 24 countries, including case studies from nine countries. It highlighted the growing demand for care models for ageing populations and the increase in chronic non-communicable diseases. Pharmacists had been managing the stress, including prescribing authority and provision of medicinal treatments. Paul Sinclair AM, Global President of FIP, said, "I believe this report is both a foundation and a catalyst - a foundation on which FIP and our member organizations could base initial strategies and a catalyst to drive us to seek even more diverse and comprehensive insights in the future.

As winter approaches, healthcare experts are urging the public to support the NHS by embracing self-care and turning to pharmacies for minor ailments and injuries to help ease the strain on the healthcare system. New research from PAGB, the consumer healthcare association, has revealed that nearly a quarter of Brits still don't consider self-care as a first option for easy-to-treat conditions. The research found that many younger adults lack the confidence in self-care that older adults possess. About 23 per cent of those aged 25 to 34 admitted they would seek a GP appointment for minor ailment or injury they could treat themselves, compared to just nine per cent of those aged 65 or older. For common conditions, 56 per cent visit their GP for a UTI, 27 per cent for thrush, 20 per cent for acne and 20 per cent for conjunctivitis. Michelle Riddalls, CEO of PAGB, emphasised that while awareness of the benefits of self-care, for both consumers and the health service, has increased as a result of educational outreach and activities such as Self-Care Week (18th-24th November 2024), there is still significant room for improvement. The PAGB data shows that only 18 per cent of people could recall seeing a news story or campaign promoting self-care in the previous year, though this rises to 29per cent for young adults (ages 18-24).

Numark continues to expand its own-label OTC range as more and more customers seek affordable, trusted alternatives to branded products, driven by the cost-of-living crisis. The organisation has announced that it now offers the largest own label OTC range in the UK pharmacy wholesale market, available to independent pharmacy, with almost 300 products across multiple categories. In addition to growing its product offering, Numark has undertaken a full packaging re-design of all products to modernize the brand's look while enhancing consumer choice and value. Numark's own label range includes common OTC medicines like paracetamol, ibuprofen, loperamide and treatments for common ailments such as coughs, colds and allergies. They also offer a comprehensive range of vitamins, baby products, footcare, personal care, and health and beauty accessories. Jennifer Rann, head of OTC at Numark said: "We are incredibly proud to be the largest own label OTC offering in pharmacy wholesale. Our Numark product range provides quality and value for our UK members and their customers."

To support NHS, clear the backlog created by the Covid-19 pandemic and help community pharmacies support more people, the Welsh government has announced an allocation of further £12.5 million funding. Of the total amount, £10mn will be distributed across the 22 local authorities to buy equipment to help people to live independently in their own homes post hospital stay. The remainder, £2.5mn, will be used to support community pharmacists and patients to improve access to treatment and advice for a range of common ailments. The move is aimed at alleviating waiting times and reducing winter pressures on the NHS. Commenting on the announcement, Elen Jones, Royal Pharmaceutical Society director for Wales said: "We are delighted that the Welsh government continue to recognise the value of pharmacists in patient care and we welcome this additional investment and support for Community Pharmacy teams across Wales.

Brits are increasing relying on over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to prevent or treat common ailments, as the 'care at home trend' has become prominent amongst UK households following the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost three-quarters of Brits (71 per cent) now choose to treat minor ailments at home rather than visit their GP or pharmacist, according to new research. The self-care message promoted by the government and NHS during the pandemic has led to a new generation of consumers who continue to take control of their own health and treat minor ailments themselves. Additionally, the research, commissioned by Lanes Health, revealed that public awareness about preventative treatment has increased, with 70 per cent of Brits claiming that they do their best to prevent the spread of common illnesses since the pandemic.

Royal Pharmaceutical Society in England and the Royal College of General Practitioners have published recommendations for the roll-out and success of the GP Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (GP CPCS). These recommendations follow a workshop with stakeholders from pharmacy, general practice and representative bodies, examining ways to maximise the potential of the service and meet growing demand on the health service. The workshop report made five recommendations: The NHS England and Improvement should provide additional investment in local system support and resources to drive the CPCS implementation and uptake between general practice and community pharmacy. National representative bodies should work with NHS E&I to develop national and local engagement and streamline communication plans for CPCS referral pathway. Focus on expanding the role of community pharmacists in the management of minor illness. Evaluation of CPCS service and its impacts on general practice workload, patient outcomes and health inequalities.

Awareness weeks, such as National Self-Care Week (18-24 November 2024), are crucial for spreading important public health messages. At the Self-Care Forum, we believe these weeks are essential for encouraging better health choices. Pharmacists: Key Players in Self-Care Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to support self-care. They can provide advice on managing common ailments, medication adherence, and lifestyle changes. During National Self-Care Week, pharmacists can promote self-care practices and educate the public on preventive health measures. And the Self-Care Forum has a variety of free self-care aware fact sheets that are perfect resources to support people's health. Impact of Preventable Illnesses Preventable illnesses significantly impact lives and healthcare systems: In 2021/22, there were 125,612 avoidable deaths in England and Wales. Cardiovascular disease causes 168,000 deaths annually in the UK. Preventable conditions consume 40 per cent of the NHS budget. Long-term sickness cost the UK economy £21 billion in 2022/23.

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced that the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has approved Ponvory (ponesimod) for treating adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) within NHS Scotland. Ponesimod offers an additional treatment choice for the ailment, which affects over 15,000 people in Scotland. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system in which immune cells attack myelin, causing inflammation. The common symptoms of this disease include fatigue, balance and walking problems, numbness or tingling, dizziness and vertigo. Amanda Cunnington, director of Health Economics, Market Access, Reimbursement, Government Affairs & Patient Engagement, Janssen-Cilag Limited said: "This decision further supports our commitment to ensuring patients living with this condition have access to new treatment options to help address some of the life-long and life-limiting symptoms of MS.

Proprietary Association of Great Britain, PAGB - which represents manufacturers of branded over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, self-care medical devices and food supplements - on Tuesday (12 December) celebrated 40 years of reclassification of medicines. Expanding self-care for common ailments and minor injuries will not only help ease pressure on primary care services, but also provides significant potential savings for the NHS, the consumer healthcare association highlighted during the event. Nurofen (ibuprofen) and Imodium (loperamide) were the first medicines to go through Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)'s switch process in 1983 to make them available over the counter - OTC. Other reclassified medicines which were once available on prescription only include Voltarol (diclofenac dimethylammonium), Canesten (clotrimazole), Nexium (esomeprazole), Nicorette, Nicotinell and Niquitin (nicotine replacement therapies), Regaine (minoxidil), Viagra Connect (sildenafil), Cialis Together (tadalafil) for erectile dysfunction and Gina (estradiol hemihydrate) for the treatment of postmenopausal symptoms such as vaginal dryness.

Following centuries of stigma, the importance of mental wellness is finally matching that of physical healthcare. Conditions such as depression have become common topics in the media, particularly in the last few years as celebrities and experts warned against the pressures of social media. The bouts of isolation connected with the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the issue, with the British Medical Association declaring a UK mental health crisis at the end of 2022. This media attention has led to acknowledgement of the realities of mental health problems from the government and medical sector, and a recognition that these need to be approached differently to physical ailments when it comes to providing treatment. If you are motivated to be involved in this rapidly changing industry, consider these rewarding business ideas for developing a career in mental health. Become a counsellor Counselling is a broad term, but essentially it is the practice of having impartial conversation with patients about their life experiences with a view to overcoming emotional obstacles and trauma. Training can take three to five years depending on whether you are getting a degree or diploma, and there are many opportunities to specialise both during and after your education. Psychotherapy is a similar field, but this is a more academically focused course that tends to be concerned with long-term or particularly complex mental health issues. You will need a post-graduate qualification and several years of training to become certified.

A new survey has highlighted growing concerns about pharmacists' increasing workload and their often-overlooked role within the healthcare systems. In the survey commissioned by consumer health company Kenvue, over 90 per cent of pharmacists reported a workload increase over the past year, with only 37 per cent considering their current workload sustainable. Their primary concerns include the impact of workload on wellbeing, expanding clinical roles and services, and challenges with staff recruitment and retention. Pharmacists reported spending most of their time advising patients on common ailments such as coughs, colds, pain, and allergies. However, they spend significantly less time on preventive services, which could further reduce pressure on the wider healthcare system. For instance, only seven pharmacists focus primarily on smoking cessation, and just four per cent on oral health. The survey also highlighted pharmacists' sense of being undervalued, with only 22 per cent feeling valued by policymakers, despite their significant contributions to primary care provision.