GP

Around 20 million GP appointments could be transferred to community pharmacy, says NHS England primary care boss

More than 20 million GP appointments could be transferred to community pharmacy through the GP Digital Minor Illness Referral Service (DMIRS) each year, NHS England’s director of primary care strategy has said.…

Everything you need to know about ‘primary care networks’

An update on what pharmacists can expect from primary care networks, the latest revolution planned by NHS England.…

The BBC has got it wrong: we are not ‘GP substitutes’

Pharmacists in general practice provide invaluable expertise and do not exist just to ‘relieve pressure’ on GPs, says clinical pharmacist Tom Gregory.…

Over 3,000 more pharmacists needed in general practice to tackle GP shortages, says think tank report

A minimum of 3,000 extra pharmacists are needed in general practice across England by 2024 to help tackle rising patient demand and GP shortages, a report compiled by three major think-tanks warns.…

Lessons for better use of community pharmacy in primary care

Policymakers have, for some time, recognised the importance of community pharmacy in optimising patient-centred care and reducing GPs’ workload through extended service delivery. However, awareness and use of such services among patients and members of the public remain low[1] . The p…

More than 1 million days of antibiotics could be cut if guidelines were followed

A large proportion of antibiotics given for common infections in primary care are prescribed for longer than guideline recommendations, research published in the BMJ has found.…

Opioid prescribing will not reach levels seen in the United States, RCGP says

By limiting repeat prescriptions for patients, the NHS — and in particular general practice — is protecting the UK from an opioid crisis similar to the one in the United States, the Royal College of General Practitioners has said.…

Practice-based pharmacist scheme doubles return on investment

A practice-based pharmacist scheme in West Hampshire has saved the local NHS £2 on the cost of medicines for every £1 that was invested in the programme.…

Eight in ten GP practices unfit for ‘future needs’, British Medical Association warns

Nearly eight in ten GP practices are not fit for future needs such as accommodating larger teams of healthcare professionals including pharmacists, the British Medical Association has warned.…

Electronic intervention in GP practices reduces antibiotic prescribing for respiratory infections

Integration of antimicrobial stewardship interventions into GP practices reduces antibiotic prescribing for respiratory infections, research from King’s College London has found.…