Awareness Continues to Spread on Pharmacy Services

Now you can get advice and treatment for a wide range of common ailments without having to visit your GP.

The growing role of pharmacies in community healthcare has been reflected in the visitor numbers. In the last year pharmacies have dispensed 770 million prescriptions and provided nearly 27,000 enhanced services (up 15% on the previous year).

Yet again, the most popular services have been help giving up smoking (smoking cessation), minor ailments services (e.g. colds and coughs, skin allergies and indigestion) and supervised administration of prescribed medicines.

The fastest growing service has been screening, which in 2009 was provided in twice as many pharmacies as last year. Rather than visit their GP, thousands of people have been flocking to get their blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and BMI checked at their local pharmacy.

2009 also witnessed the continuing growth in the provision of MURs, with almost 1.4 million carried out this year. These enable people on medication (particularly for long term conditions) to speak to their pharmacist and gain a better understanding of what they're taking. MURs are also a great opportunity for people to raise any concerns they might have, such as whether they're experiencing any side effects or whether to change medication.

The popularity of smoking cessation, minor ailments services, screening and MURs is remarkable when you consider they've only been launched in the last few years. These services are all vital in helping relieve pressure on GPs as well as enhance the role pharmacies play in community healthcare. 2009 has certainly been an important year in the growth of pharmacy services and, as awareness continues to spread, we expect 2010 to be even busier.