Services Database Community Pharmacy Sexual Health Service (Bristol Area)

Aims

The overall aims of this service are to:

• To increase the availability and accessibility of EHC and the emergency copper intrauterine device (Cu-IUD) for young women aged 24 and under.
• Increase access to asymptomatic screening of chlamydia and gonorrhoea in women aged under 25.
• To increase access to condoms, and knowledge of the important role that condoms play in reducing the risk of STI transmission and preventing pregnancy.
• Improving knowledge and understanding of the risks associated with unprotected sex through the provision of information, advice and guidance.
• Increasing the uptake of sexual health screening through awareness raising and referral / signposting to STI testing and treatment services.

• Pharmacists participating in this service specification must enrol on the EHC service via PharmOutcomes and complete the Declaration of Competence criteria listed within 90 days. Relevant evidence must be provided using the system on PharmOutcomes.
• If the Declaration of Competence is not completed within 90 days, the pharmacist will be unable to provide the service and the pharmacy will not be paid for it, until such a time as these outstanding requirements are met.
• Pharmacists should review the self-declaration form at least every 3 years or, earlier if the Pharmacists feels his/her competence levels need refreshing due to undertaking too few consultations.
• Bristol City Council also recommend the completion of the following self-learning packages as additional resources (although their completion is not compulsory):
  • CPPE: Sexual Health in Pharmacies - 6hrs
  • CPPE: Dealing with difficult discussions - 6hrs
• The pharmacy contractor has a duty to ensure that all pharmacists and staff involved in the provision of the service have relevant knowledge and are appropriately trained in the operation of the service, including confidential, sensitive patient centred communication skills.
• Pharmacists staff will be invited to attend a series of ISHS led short webinars that will outline the new process for distributing the chlamydia/gonorrhoea self-sampling test kits.