NPA Welcomes DH Confirmation Of Pharmacy As Provider Of Health Checks

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 11 Apr 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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The Government announced has announced that its England-wide Health Checks programme will commence immediately and confirmed that such checks can be provided from pharmacies.

Many community pharmacies already offer health checks for cardiovascular risk and other conditions, as well as help to reduce risk through stop smoking schemes and weight management.

GPs have expressed concern that they do not have the capacity to undertake this new programme but community pharmacy is well placed to play a leading role in delivery, particularly to certain hard to reach groups who may not use general practices on a regular basis.

John Turk, NPA Chief Executive, commented:

"We are pleased that the Department of Health reiterated the potential of community pharmacy in its announcement. The access that pharmacy provides to the whole population, rather than just those who are currently ill, is a real asset the NHS can capitalise on in its programme of prevention measures. As part of our 2009 Ask Your Pharmacist public awareness campaign, we will be highlighting that community pharmacy is an ideal setting for public health interventions. We will also provide pharmacists with practical resources to help them deliver a high quality service."

Source
National Pharmacy Association