AFTER months of negotiations, pharmacists in the UK have reached a deal to secure better funding and to widen their scope.
The deal, worth A$1.2b, was signed last month and will see the launch of the national 'Pharmacy First Service', which enables pharmacists in England to provide advice and services funded by the National Health Service, stated the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
Pharmacists will also be able to prescribe medication for seven conditions, including sinusitis, sore throat, acute otitis media, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.
Pharmacists will be able to treat patients who present to their practices or have been referred to by GPs or the NHS.
To help prepare the sector for the wider role, each pharmacy will receive more than $4k upfront and $2k per month to deliver the Pharmacy First service.
The Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England, Janet Morrison, described the agreement as a "huge positive" for the sector.
"It will allow new money to flow into pharmacies, and creates the building blocks for a clinical future."
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