Agenda item

Presentation by Boots UK.

The Sub Committee received a presentation from Beneeta Shah, from Boots UK, and Rohit Kotecha, from Niemans Chemist Ltd, which gave an overview of the pharmacy services in the City.

Ms Shah reported that there were three tiers of pharmacy services – Enhanced (commissioned by the Local Authority), Essential (NHS commissioned) and Essential (NHS England commissioned). Under the latter tier, an electronic prescription service had begun which saw prescriptions being sent directly from the Doctor to the pharmacy. This offered more flexibility to the patient, and Members noted that there were a significant number coming in from outside London.

With regard to the role of community pharmacy, Ms Shah detailed the three main intersecting divisions: self-care (empowering patients to take control, i.e. pharmacists prescribing over the counter medicines to reduce GP workload), Public Health and Wellbeing (commissioned by the Local Authority, i.e. smoking cessation, sexual health, and weight management), and Medical Optimisations (i.e. how to take medication properly and medicine use reviews). Members noted the wide range of services provided in the City, for example a trial by Barts Health of a walk-in sexual health clinic at Boots in Liverpool Street station, and a smoking cessation trial targeting recipients of FPNs for littering with cigarette butts.

In response to Members’ question, Mr Kotecha advised that trials had received relatively little general publicity in order to ensure demand was kept at a manageable level, but assistance was needed to support the promotion of services to targeted groups in the wider community. The Director of Community & Children’s Services reported that officers would continue to work with Healthwatch to address this and advised Members that officers were looking at establishing income streams to support additional services. In response to a Member’s question regarding review mechanisms on repeat prescriptions, Mr Kotecha confirmed that checks were made before repeats were requested and that the review period was outlined on the prescription.

The Deputy Chairman thanked Ms Shah and Mr Kotecha for their presentation.