Letters

Letter

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy: managing the risk of adverse events

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is a method by which IV antimicrobials are administered to patients in the community. Without an OPAT service, these patients would otherwise remain in hospital when deemed medically fit to be treated in the community setting. OPAT has the potential…

Published: 16 June 2023

Letter

Using digital tools in community pharmacy to identify cases of undiagnosed hypertension

The 'NHS community pharmacy blood pressure (BP) check service' was commissioned as a community pharmacy advanced service in October 2021[1]. Following this, Community Pharmacy Surrey and Sussex worked with NHS Sussex to develop a pathway to maximise the use of the service and increase the dete…

Published: 9 June 2023

Letter

How a commissioning support unit increased primary care referrals from the Black Country Integrated Care System to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme

Between June 2021 and March 2023, NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (MLCSU) were commissioned by the Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group (subsequently the Black Country Integrated Care System [ICS]) to engage with practices and directly with patients, …

Published: 24 May 2023

Letter

Pharmacy’s potential has not yet been fully recognised

I am writing to express my appreciation for the article entitled 'How pharmacists can encourage patient adherence to medicines' (The Pharmaceutical Journal online, 18 August 2018). As a practising pharmacist, I fully agree with the sentiments expressed in the article that pharmacists play a crit…

Published: 16 May 2023

Letter

Pharmacists’ pay, welfare and future

My experience of working full time and going to locuming to balance work/life balance in different sectors of pharmacy gave me an insight into how important our welfare as well as our pay, salary as pharmacists can impact on our day-to-day activities. Working in hospital, community, GP practice a…

Published: 16 May 2023

Letter

Increasing collaboration with other healthcare professionals, healthcare institutions and making medicines management a priority

Pharmacy is a diverse profession, sitting centrally at the centre of healthcare institutions to give, manage and distribute medicines for the best care of our patients. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has developed resources and publications, which ensures its members are able to give and pr…

Published: 16 May 2023

Letter

An evaluation of pharmacy undergraduate clinical placements in a UK mental health and learning disabilities trust

All undergraduate pharmacy degrees in the UK must meet standards set out by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and this includes the provision of experiential learning in pharmacy settings[1,2]. Providing high-quality experiential learning in mental health settings can contribute toward…

Published: 12 May 2023

Letter

Challenging the current pharmacy curriculum: why a focus on digital health can lead to innovations in the future of pharmacy

Digital health has revolutionised the healthcare sector worldwide, and pharmacy is no exception. In the UK, the adoption of digital health in the pharmacy sector has been slow and there is a need for urgent change. With the current expansion of pharmacy services in community pharmacy, transitioning …

Published: 12 May 2023

Letter

The past, current and future problems of pharmacy as a profession

After graduating with an MPharm in 2019 from University College London, I started my training at a community pharmacy giant, where I gained experience in dispensing pharmaceuticals which makes up a large part of the pharmacy workforce. I have since experienced firsthand the challenges that “junior…

Published: 12 May 2023

Letter

Independent prescribing

Pharmacy as a profession has developed rapidly in the last decade. From being addressed as a shop keeper to being recognised as clinical experts in medication. The importance of pharmacist as a professional was even more visible during the COVID pandemic, with pharmacies remaining open throughout th…

Published: 12 May 2023