Services Database Community Pharmacy Minor Ailments Service via Patient Group Directions (Northern & Eastern Devon Area and South Devon & Torbay Area)

The purpose of the Community Pharmacy Minor Ailments Service via Patient Group Directions (PGD) is to ensure that patients can access self-care advice for the treatment of specific ailments and, where appropriate, can be supplied with a prescription only medicine under a PGD without the need to visit the GP practice, at NHS expense, to treat their ailment. This provides an alternative location from which patients can seek advice and treatment, rather than seeking treatment via a prescription from their GP or out of hours (OOH) provider, or via a walk-in centre or accident and emergency.

The specific ailments are:

• bacterial conjunctivitis;
• impetigo;
• nappy rash;
• uncomplicated urinary tract infections; and
• oral candidiasis.

To provide this service all pharmacists must:

• competent in the use of PGDs;
• attend a training session organised by the Devon LPC; and
• have completed the latest CPPE pack ‘Responding to Minor Ailments’ (unless previously accredited by NHS Kernow CCG to deliver this service)

Pharmacy contractor has a duty to ensure that pharmacists and staff involved in the provision of the service have relevant knowledge and are appropriately trained in the operation of the service.

The pharmacy contractor has a duty to ensure that pharmacists and staff involved in the provision of the service are aware of and operate within local protocols.