By Isabel Cameron
This article originally appeared in Outsourcing Pharma.
The UK Government has announced plans to allow patients in England to receive prescription medicines directly from pharmacies without the need for a GP appointment.
The measures, expected to take effect this winter, will enable pharmacists to prescribe antibiotics and antiviral drugs for common ailments including urinary tract infections, sore throat and earache.
Women will also be able to obtain oral contraception from the pharmacist.
The move is part of a wider ‘primary care recovery plan’ set out by prime minister Rishi Sunak yesterday, which aims to end the “8am scramble” for doctors’ appointments and restore public faith with GP surgeries.
According to NHS England, the £645 million initiative will free up around 15 million GP appointments over the next two years.
Patients will also be able to self-refer for more services, with NHS England aiming to double the number of people able to access blood pressure checks in pharmacies from 900,000 last year to 2.5 million a year.
The reforms have been widely welcomed by industry leaders, with Mark Hewlett, global CEO of 2San, telling BioPharma-Reporter that he “wholeheartedly endorses” the new plan and believes it will have a positive impact on the UK healthcare landscape.
“Pharmacists are already a really important part of our healthcare system in the UK and by providing additional services, they could play a key role in alleviating the intense pressure on general practitioners,” he said.
“By freeing up doctor’s surgeries, these slots can be used by people who have more severe health concerns, whereas pharmacists can deal with more minor ailments, therefore closing that loop with prescriptions being dispensed at the point of care.”