Thank you for all your hard work during 2023

A message from Claire Nevinson, Pharmacy Superintendent

As we enter the busy festive period, I want to take the opportunity to thank you for the continued hard work and exceptional patient care that you have delivered in your community this year. Whatever your role in pharmacy and healthcare, in store, in the field or in the support office, thank you for your resilience, compassion and commitment.

2024 will bring with it long-awaited opportunities for community pharmacy in England, with the launch of Pharmacy First, expansion of the Pharmacy Contraception Service and the relaunch of the Hypertension Case Finding Service. These services are the building blocks towards the provision of more accessible clinical care delivered through pharmacy. I urge you and your team to engage with, and complete, the required training to be able to deliver care within your community safely and successfully. I have seen first-hand, in Scotland and Wales, the impact that access to services for common conditions can have on communities and encourage everyone preparing now to think about the important role that every team member in your pharmacy will play, starting with over-the-counter advice and care, through to provision of a consultation and treatment for those who need it. I also ask you to take time to prepare for seasonal workload and to reflect on how we can best serve our vulnerable patients, including those in care homes that we support.

Once again, and on behalf of all my team in the support office and the field, thank you. I hope you find time to relax and enjoy the festive season.

Ensure that your pharmacy holds appropriate stock of acute prescription items, such as antibiotics and palliative care medicines, so that adequate supplies are available for patients who may need them urgently over the festive period. In addition, check that any instalment prescriptions account for patient supplies to cover the Bank Holidays. For further support, The Pharmacy Helpdesk’s ‘Your Questions Answered (YQA) Substance dependency guide for bank holidays’ is available on BootsLive.