Partnerships and collaboration
Partnerships and collaboration
Collaboration between community pharmacies and other healthcare providers is crucial for promoting AMS practices. Pharmacies should establish links with local GP practices, sharing information about AMS initiatives and exploring opportunities for joint campaigns. Working together to educate patients about AMR and promote self care can strengthen AMS efforts and improve patient outcomes.
Pharmacy First and AMS
The NHS Pharmacy First service enables community pharmacists to manage minor conditions, including infections, without the need for a GP visit. By integrating AMS principles into Pharmacy First services, pharmacists can play a critical role in reducing AMR while improving patient outcomes.
Some data on rates of antibiotic supply via Pharmacy First are now available from a recent analysis by the Company Chemists Association (CCA), who looked at data from more than 150,000 anonymised patient consultation records from more than 3,000 member pharmacies for August and September 2024. The analysis found that around 117,000 people attended or were referred to these pharmacies for treatment for six of the Pharmacy First conditions (shingles was excluded as it is not treated with antibiotics). On average, 66 per cent of patients who attended a pharmacy through the Pharmacy First service received antibiotic treatment, ranging from 35 per cent for ear infections to 79 per cent for uncomplicated UTIs in women aged 16-64. Pharmacists were found to be closely adhering to the pathways set out by the Patient Group Directions (PGDs) and only supplying antibiotics when appropriate.
The authors concluded that the provision of antibiotics in community pharmacy is largely in line with, or lower than, other parts of primary care. Around 94 per cent of patients received a complete ‘episode of care’ and antibiotics were one of the treatment options patients received.