COMMUNITY pharmacies have a significant role to play in tackling health inequalities, referring patients, signposting and more, pharmacy organisations have said in response to a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) consultation.
In a joint response to NICE's quality 'standard for the role of community pharmacies in promoting health and wellbeing,' the UK Company Chemists' Association (CCA) and the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIM) identified five areas in which community pharmacy could improve care.
Specifically, the pharmacy groups identified addressing health inequalities, referrals and signposting, behavioural support, supporting efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and supporting people with mental health needs.
In terms of combatting AMR, the CCA and AIM said that community pharmacists could support patients to take their antibiotics properly and educate the public about the problem.
Pharmacists could also engage with prescribers to ensure that antibiotic prescribing is appropriate, they suggested.
When it comes to supporting people with mental health needs, the organisations highlighted the role of pharmacies in supporting adherence, which remains a special need for patients with mental health.
Another national body, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), also responded to the consultation, adding that social care was another area where community pharmacies could add value.
"Community pharmacists and their teams can identify those patients who require social care. Currently, there is an absence of formalised and non-formalised pathways into the system," the NPA argued.
Access the NICE project documents at nice.org.uk.
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