British pharmacists will be able to prescribe medicines that until now have been reserved for doctors, in a government effort to ease an overburdened health system, the British government announced Tuesday.
“For the first time in history, patients who need prescription drugs will be able to get them directly from pharmacies, without an appointment with a GP,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced Tuesday.
Pharmacists will be able to prescribe medicines for seven common ailments next winter, from earaches and sore throats to urinary tract infections, thanks to a £645m government investment over two years, a press release details.
This also applies to contraception: almost half a million women will no longer need to see a nurse or general practitioner to access oral contraception and can get it directly from their pharmacy.
Physiotherapy, hearing tests or podiatry: the British will also be able to consult certain specialists without going through their doctor, which will affect up to 500,000 patients a year, the government still anticipates.
The executive hopes to release 15 million appointments
Britain’s public health system, the NHS, has for years been underfunded and understaffed, problems made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. It has also been shaken for several months by strikes over the salaries of nurses, paramedics or doctors.
According to the government, by expanding the skills of pharmacists, fewer people will need to go to see their GP; Thanks to this measure, the executive expects to release around 15 million appointments in the next two years.
The government also plans to simplify appointment booking for NHS doctors and give patients better access to their medical records, via the service app on smartphones.
Rishi Sunak’s announcements come days after a major Conservative defeat in local elections in England.
“The Tory announcement is a tinkering, as opposed to the fundamental reform the NHS needs,” Wes Streeting, opposition labor health leader, said on Tuesday.
Source: BFM TV
