Services Database Early Diagnosis of Bowel and Lung Cancer Through Community Pharmacy in Cumbria

The project built on the healthy living pharmacy concept to raise awareness of bowel and lung cancer including bowel cancer screening.

Community pharmacy teams across Cumbria including Healthy Living Champions undertook month long programmes that sought to raise awareness of cancer among people visiting community pharmacies and identify and approach people at higher risk of either bowel or lung cancer.

The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness of lung cancer symptoms, screening and prevention using community pharmacy as the lead resource.

Brief advice was given using the following criteria:

• patients aged 50 and over collecting prescriptions, receiving Medicine Use Review or participating in the NHS Health Check Scheme;
• patients requesting over-the-counter medicines for respiratory disorders (coughs, colds, sinusitis, sore throats). Also be alert with heartburn;
• literature– inserting leaflets and cards in prescription bags, targeting patients aged over 40. evaluated by count of leaflets issued;
• in store display – evaluated by count of leaflets collected; and
• social media – Twitter, Facebook, local press.

This was not a commissioned service.

Not known.