Primary care

Whole-genome sequencing is ‘feasible’ for screening in primary care, research suggests

Presenting their findings, study authors said genomic sequencing in primary care could change the way patients and their families are managed by GPs.…

Pharmacies should be able to directly refer to mental health services, says report

The 'Next steps for integrating primary care' report states that there is "scope for efficiencies in pharmacies being able to refer onward directly".…

Epilepsy: management

An overview of commonly used anti-seizure medicines as well as guidance on their initiation, adding on and withdrawal.…

Pharmacists ‘underappreciated’ for their work in primary care networks, report finds

Primary care network pharmacists also said they felt isolated in a report published by The King's Fund.…

We must work together to enable safer prescribing in children

I write a letter in response to The Pharmaceutical Journal article 'GPs must take on more responsibility for paediatric prescribing from hospitals' by Alison Tennant, published on 13 September 2021. The opinion piece sets out to raise questions as to why more paediatric prescribing does not occur in…

Pharmacy should be represented in new NHS structures, say primary care bodies

A letter written to the parliamentary committee scrutinising the Health and Care Bill calls on new 'integrated care boards' to include formalised roles for all types of primary care professions, not just GPs.…

Collaboration not competition: the NHS masterplan to keep patients out of hospital

Health challenges and inequalities have been exacerbated by COVID-19, meaning providing joined up health and social care that keeps people out of hospital is more important than ever, and is central to the government’s blueprint for the NHS in England. Pharmacy teams are already playing an integra…

Only half of PCNs have recorded employing a pharmacist

NHS England data show that primary care networks across 22 clinical commissioning groups had not reported employing a pharmacist as of December 2020.…

How I’m leading my health centre’s COVID-19 vaccination as the only pharmacist on the GP coordinating board

Pharmacist Shilpa Patel put her travel clinic experience to good use when she stepped up to lead the Brighton Health and Wellbeing Centre’s COVID-19 vaccination service.…

We talk a lot about ‘multidisciplinary’ working, but our PCN’s COVID-19 vaccine service truly would not exist without all our professions

Sowe Valley’s rapid rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine service is testament to the value of PCN-working, says clinical pharmacist Umeh Ali.…