Services Database Pharmacy First Minor Ailment Service (Cheshire Area)

The Think Pharmacy Minor Ailments Service aims to:
• support patients to recover quickly and successfully from episodes of ill health that are suitable for management in a community pharmacy setting;
• ensure that patients have a positive experience of care in a community pharmacy setting; and
• release capacity in other healthcare settings by providing convenient access to advice and treatment in community pharmacy.

The service aims to divert patients with specified minor ailments from general practice and other urgent care settings into community pharmacy where the patient can be seen and treated in a single episode of care. The Think Pharmacy Minor Ailments Service aims to enable more patients to access NHS treatment and advice without requiring a GP or A&E appointment to provide a prescription.

The service comprises patient assessment and advice, and provision of Pharmacy (P) lines and Prescription Only Medicine (POM) according to the criteria specified in the relevant guidelines and Patient Group Directions, followed by a communication to the patient’s registered GP to advise of the treatment provided (with patient consent).

Pharmacists must provide a Declaration of Competence (see CPPE website) to provider the Think Pharmacy Minor Ailments Service at Level 1 and Level 2. Pharmacists are expected to reflect on their knowledge, skills and competences before making the declarations, and to address any learning and development before starting to deliver the service.
Pharmacists will be expected to make a Declaration of Competence to deliver the Service at Level 1 and Level 2. A Declaration of Competence at Level 1 will be deemed to cover ALL of the conditions and treatments included in Level 1. A Declaration of Competence at Level 2 will be deemed to cover ALL of the conditions and treatments included in Level 2, and to signify that the pharmacist has personally read the PGDs, addressed any learning and development needs and then Signed each PGD individually in each site where they deliver the service. The PGDs can be downloaded from the Materials section of the Data Management Software.
It is possible to make a Declaration of Competence for Level 1 services only and to provide those services while acquiring the knowledge and skills for Level 2 services. It is not acceptable to make a Declaration of Competence for Level 2 Services only; any pharmacy / pharmacist offering Level 2 Services must also offer Level 1 Services.