Pharmacists To Help With GP's Workload?

Plans by leading health professionals suggest getting an army of pharmacists to help GP’s workload.

16:15 17 March 2015

Leading health specialists have made proposals to ease GP’s workload and it includes getting an army of pharmacists to see patients with common ailments. After getting additional training, the pharmacists should be able to provide health advice and prescribe medication, according to the plans. 

 

NHS England officials said that the proposals will help realise their goal of increasing staffing in GP surgeries but are yet to confirm if they’re going to push the proposals forward. 

 

Dr Maureen Baker, chairwoman of the Royal College of General Practice, said: "Even if we were to get an urgent influx of extra funding and more GPs, we could not turn around the situation overnight due to the length of time it takes to train a GP.

 

"Yet we already have a 'hidden army' of highly-trained pharmacists who could provide a solution.

 

"This isn't about having a pharmacy premises within a surgery, but about making full use of the pharmacist's clinical skills to help patients and the over-stretched GP workforce."

 

Meanwhile, David Branford, of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), said that should the plans push through, errors in the health sector will be reduced. "Pharmacists can consult with and treat patients directly, relieving GPs of casework and enabling them to focus their skills where they are most needed, for example on diagnosing and treating patients with complex conditions.

 

"Pharmacists can advise other professionals about medicines, resolve problems with prescriptions and reduce prescribing errors."