Community pharmacy has started a winter action campaign day to highlight its role in helping local communities to stay well this winter.

As the NHS moves into winter, pharmacy organisations aim to show how pharmacies can help reduce increasing pressures.

Zoe Long, head of communications and public affairs at the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC), said: ‘The pharmacy winter action day is another chance for us to demonstrate the public support that community pharmacy has, and to talk to people, whether MPs, patients or local Councillors about all that we do for patients and local communities.'

'Vital role'

Ms Long continued: ‘Community pharmacies play a vital role in helping both local communities and the NHS to manage during winter, and as pressure on health services increases this support has never been more important.’

With the Budget 2017 due to be announced tomorrow (22 November), NHS leaders have been calling for more funding for sustainable health services in 2018 and beyond.

Sandra Gidley, chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) English Pharmacy Board, said: ‘Against this backdrop, community pharmacy teams are already playing a vital role in promoting public health and resilience - encouraging self-care, vaccinating people against flu, or providing healthy lifestyle advice.'

On average, more than one million adult patients visit pharmacies every single day, for health-related reasons, in England.

 

Pharmacists can share their experience on social media with the #pharmacywinter hashtag.