NPA Responds To Cardio And Vascular Coalition Green Paper

Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 09 Feb 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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The NPA has submitted its response to the Cardio and Vascular Coalition (CVC) consultation on the cardio & vascular health strategy. The NPA believes that maximising the use of the services which community pharmacists can and do provide will assist the CVC in meeting its targets. Pharmacy based services need to fully integrated into primary care.

Margaret Peycke, NPA External Relations Manager said: "Community pharmacy sits where health and social services meet. Pharmacists generally see people more frequently than any other healthcare professional and notice changes in a person's health and wellbeing. In addition to the services which pharmacists currently provide which include Medicines use review, stop smoking and weight management, maximum use should be made of community pharmacists' capabilities when the Vascular Risk Assessment (VRA) is rolled out to assist in reaching all segments of the population."

The pharmacy VRA service will have a number of features which will enable it to address health inequalities, these include:

- Accessibility by virtue of their location within the community and their opening hours

- The ability to provide opportunistic screening to all those who are eligible when they enter the pharmacy

- Only one session is needed, the pharmacy service will use near patient testing and patients will be given the results and lifestyle advice after completion of the lifestyle questionnaire and the tests.

- Many pharmacies will be able to refer into their own stop smoking services and possibly weight management services

- Patients who are not registered with a GP will be encouraged to do so."

Margaret Peycke added: "However, PCTs will need to consider potential problems for pharmacies undertaking VRAs. For example how will information be transmitted between pharmacies, GPs and PCTs. Patients need to be aware of all locations offering VCAs not just GP surgeries. Pharmacists should be able to offer or directly refer people to enhanced services offerings such as a stop smoking service to help people improve their lifestyle."

Mark Beckett
Press Officer
National Pharmacy Association Ltd
http://www.npa.co.uk

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