Category: News

Father and daughter community pharmacy duo have briefed elected representatives on the current crisis facing community pharmacies across Northern Ireland at an All-Party Group Meeting held at Stormont.

Laurence and Laura O’Kane from O’Kane’s Pharmacy in Draperstown told MLAs that community pharmacists need support to grapple with the workforce, workload and funding issues which threaten to close the doors of local pharmacies in the heart of the community.

They highlighted that although community pharmacists are eager to do more, provide additional services, and take pressure off the health service, the sector urgently needs support to meet rising costs, provide stability and develop the workforce for new roles in the future.

Community pharmacists have long campaigned for adequate and recurrent funding from the Department of Health to allow safe services to patients to be properly planned and resourced.

Elected representatives were also briefed by Community Pharmacy NI Chief Executive Gerard Greene and Chair Peter Rice who said that CPNI wants to work with the Department to address many of the issues that have affected the sector, including the funding shortfall, providing the necessary stability needed to underpin the current service and build the service going forward.

Speaking to MLAs at the meeting in Stormont, Laurence O’Kane from O’Kane’s Pharmacy in Draperstown said:

“Community pharmacy is at crisis; it is at a point at which in my 37 years as a pharmacist I haven’t experienced before. Our hands are tied as we try to deal with workforce issues, medicines shortages, rising costs and keep the doors of our pharmacies open for patients. We need immediate investment to not only help local pharmacies survive, but also unleash their potential”.

Laura O’Kane added “We need to see more community pharmacists becoming Independent Prescribers as this would enable them to deliver more clinical services that would allow patients to see us first without the need to visit their GP. With the unique accessibility of community pharmacy, we see patients every day without appointment, many with long-term conditions. As a newly qualified pharmacist I want to do more to help manage these patients in the community and alleviate pressures across the health service, but we need the investment in our profession to make this happen”.

Gerard Greene, Chief Executive, Community Pharmacy NI, added:

“Community pharmacists are some of the most accessible healthcare professionals in the heart of the community, with over 123,000 people using community pharmacies each day in Northern Ireland. We have heard today that community pharmacists here are eager to do more to support their patients.

As the healthcare landscape and patient needs continue to evolve, community pharmacists are well placed and possess the clinical skills required to provide a range of services that can work to alleviate health and social care and GP pressures, solve primary care bottlenecks, and relieve the burden on secondary care.

However, for this to happen, we are clear that there must be an urgent injection, as was announced last week in Scotland where a £20m funding injection was confirmed. We urgently need stabilisation of community pharmacy funding and for the chronic systemic underfunding of the network to be addressed alongside plans that will see the development of the workforce. There is much potential, but a long way to go and we need the support of elected representatives to appeal to the Department of Health to turn all of this into reality”.

A new campaign focussing on the importance of getting the best from your sunscreen and reducing your risk of skin cancer has been launched in community pharmacies across Northern Ireland.

‘Care in the sun’ is running in community pharmacies throughout June and July as part of the Living Well service.

Living Well is offered in over 500 pharmacies across Northern Ireland and provides information and advice on public health issues. It is delivered in partnership by the Public Health Agency (PHA), Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI), and the Department of Health (DoH).

Denise McCallion, Health Improvement Manager at the PHA, said: “Sunlight helps provide our bodies with vitamin D, supports bone health, lowers blood pressure, helps prevent disease and promotes good mental health. However, over-exposure to UV radiation can damage skin and the majority of skin cancers are caused by over exposure to UV radiation.”

“Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Northern Ireland and accounts for over 31% of all cancers diagnosed. Over 4,000 people develop skin cancer each year and almost 1 in 10 of these are malignant melanoma, the most serious form. Malignant melanoma rates have risen over the past 30 years from an average of 103 cases per year in the mid-1980s, to 382 cases in recent years.”

According to the charity Skcin, around 90% of all skin cancers are caused by over-exposure to UV radiation from the sun and/or sunbeds. This means that the majority of all skin cancers are preventable by undertaking simple sun protection measures.

Stephen Slaine, community pharmacist, added: “Community pharmacists regularly help patients with a range of common health concerns associated with ‘Care in the sun’ such as skin protection, treatment for sun exposure and mole concerns. This campaign is an opportunity for you to chat to your local pharmacist or pharmacy team about how to look after your skin, how to stay safe in the sun, talk about medication that could increase your skin’s sensitivity to sunlight and also to raise any concerns, especially in relation to prevention and early detection of skin cancer.” 

Top tips for protecting your skin from cancer:

• Check when you are most at risk from UV radiation. Levels of UV radiation are highest in Northern Ireland between March and October – even when it is cool or overcast. UV rays are strongest between 11.00am and 3.00pm.

• If you over expose yourself to UV radiation, you increase your risk of sunburn, premature skin ageing and skin cancer.

• Check the UV index. The index indicates how much solar UV radiation is reaching the Earth’s surface and how careful we need to be. UV levels vary with the seasons and time of day, but when the UV index is 3 or more our skin needs protected. If you are going outdoors, check what the UV index will be throughout the day. You can check daily and hourly UV index forecasts via an app on your mobile phone.

Help protect your skin when the UV index is 3 or more by following this guidance:

1. Stay in the shade between 11.00am and 3.00pm, when UV rays are strongest.
2. Cover up with suitable clothing.
3. Wear a broad brimmed hat and sunglasses with 100% UV protection.
4. Buy sunglasses that have a CE mark or carry British StandardBS EN ISO 12312-1.
5. Use sunscreen on exposed skin; an SPF of at least 15 and UVA 4 stars as recommended by the Department of Health and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
6. Babies under six months should stay out of direct sunlight. If exposure to sunlight is unavoidable, apply a small amount of high protection sunscreen to exposed areas, such as the cheeks and back of the hands. For children over six months choose SPF 30 or SPF 50 to protect against UVB rays and minimum UVA 4 stars. Higher SPF will give more protection.
7. Avoid sunburn by never allowing your skin to go pink or red in the sun. Sunburn doesn’t have to be raw, peeling or blistering skin; for people with darker skin it might feel tender, irritated or itchy.
8. Choose and use the correct amount of sunscreen – an adult needs six teaspoons distributed evenly on the body with an SPF of at least 15 and UVA 4 or 5 stars.
9. Avoid sunbeds – they can cause over exposure to UV radiation.
10. Check your skin at least once a month, be aware of any changes, and speak to your GP or pharmacist if you notice any mole changes, new moles or abnormal skin changes.

Doreen Regan, Skin Cancer Prevention Coordinator at Cancer Focus NI, said that it’s important to remember the care in the sun messages both at home and abroad: “Everyone is at risk of UV damage, but certain groups are particularly at risk including babies and children, those with fair hair and skin, outdoor workers and people with a family history of skin cancer. Just one episode of sunburn, especially in childhood, can double the lifetime risk of malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer.”

To find out more visit www.careinthesun.org or call into your local pharmacy.  

If you are concerned about skin cancer you can call the Cancer Focus NI free information and support NurseLine on 0800 783 3339 or email one of the charity’s nurses on nurseline@cancerfocusni.org

Reacting to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak MP’s announcement that new investment in community pharmacy services in England will result in people in England being able to obtain some prescription medicines for a range of common health conditions from a pharmacy without visiting a GP, Community Pharmacy NI Chief Executive, Gerard Greene said:

“This announcement from the Prime Minister which will enable people in England to access some prescription medicines without visiting their GP first is welcomed and will go some way in addressing the pressures on GP services and the wider health and social care system. In the past number of years, we have seen more people turning to community pharmacies for advice and treatment and as healthcare professionals, we believe that community pharmacists are well placed to take on this additional role in providing frontline health care in the local community”.

“Community pharmacists here are eager to do more to support health and social care, and we are certain that similar arrangements for Northern Ireland would be incredibly beneficial. For this to happen however, there must be a stabilisation of community pharmacy funding, with the systemic underfunding of the network addressed urgently. Community pharmacists also need confidence that they operate on a solid foundation. This can only be guaranteed if there is the right level of recurrent funding which would allow services to be properly planned and resourced.

A clear workforce strategy is also required to support an expanded role for community pharmacists in a structured approach to enable the planning of services and more independent prescribers. In light of this announcement, it is now even more important that local patients here are not disadvantaged and that the same services are also available in Northern Ireland. There is much potential, but a long way to go”. We want to work with the Department of Health to turn all of this into reality”.

The Community Pharmacy sector is surprised at the Department of Health’s statement.

Funding for a blister pack service that would have supported patients is being removed by the Department and this puts all blister pack patients at risk.

Community Pharmacy will attempt to maintain essential pharmacy services to patients, including rota services, however this may not be sustainable given current community pharmacy funding and workforce challenges.

A new campaign focussing on the importance of looking after your eyesight and the benefits of regular eye checks has been launched in pharmacies across Northern Ireland.

‘Look after your eyes’ is running in community pharmacies throughout April and May as part of the Living Well service. It highlights the importance of eye health and aims to increase awareness of how to protect and look after your eyes.

Living Well is offered in over 500 pharmacies across Northern Ireland and provides information and advice on public health issues. It is delivered in partnership with the Public Health Agency (PHA), Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI), and the Department of Health (DoH).

Dr Jackie McCall, Consultant in Public Health at the PHA, said: “One in five of us will experience sight loss in our lifetime, but more than half of sight loss can be prevented.

“A routine eye examination can often pick up the first signs of a sight loss condition even before there are any symptoms. Early detection and intervention could save sight, or keep a condition under control. As well as helping people to see better, a routine eye test can also detect a range of life-threatening conditions such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, among others.

“Our colleagues in community pharmacies will help us remind people of the importance of good eye health care, and will be familiar with many patients’ medical backgrounds and so can signpost to appropriate services.”

Catherine King, community pharmacist added: “Community pharmacists regularly help patients with a range of common eye conditions such as allergy, dry eye and minor infections. This campaign is an opportunity for further patient engagement with pharmacists sharing some of the practical ways patients can look after their own general eye health, including the importance of early detection with routine eye tests.”

Raymond Curran, Head of Ophthalmic Services at the Strategic Planning and Performance Group, Department of Health, said: “Sight is the sense people say they fear losing the most, but an eye appointment with an optometrist (optician) is the one they could most likely miss, cancel or avoid.

“If you do notice a change to your sight, never dismiss it as ‘just part of getting older’ – visit your local optometrist without delay. Regular eye examinations should form part of everyone’s health routine – after all, looking after your eye health is just as important as looking after the rest of your body.”

 Other key steps you can take to maintain good eye health include:

•             Quit smoking – for outlined guidance and support visit www.stopsmokingni.info

•             Protect your eyes in bright sunlight and/or glare

•             Eat healthily and exercise regularly – for help and advice visit www.choosetolivebetter.com

•             Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes while doing DIY, sporting activities and/or in the workplace if required

•             Take regular and short breaks if working at a computer screen

Eye examinations are free for many individuals. For information regarding eligibility for a free NHS eye test, please visit www.nidirect.gov.uk/eye-care

The Strategic Planning and Performance Group, Department of Health, commissions NHS eye examinations from over 270 easily-accessible registered optometry practices in Northern Ireland.

A new campaign focussing on the importance and benefits of physical activity as we get older has been launched in pharmacies across Northern Ireland.

‘Live Longer and Stronger Ageing Well’ is running in community pharmacies throughout February and March as part of the Living Well service. It highlights how keeping active helps you stay healthy and age well.

Living Well is offered in over 500 pharmacies across Northern Ireland and provides information and advice on public health issues. It is delivered in partnership with the Public Health Agency (PHA), Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI), and the Department of Health (DoH).

“We decided to run this campaign as data indicates that 43% of adults aged 50 or over in Northern Ireland did not meet the UK recommendations of doing at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise,” Colette Brolly, the PHA’s lead on physical activity, said.

Data also shows that inactivity rose with age and was higher in those living in deprived areas.

“From 50 years of age we naturally lose muscle strength year on year,” Colette said.

“Being physically active is very important – ageing is inevitable but the pace at which physical changes occur can be slowed or even reversed with regular physical activity. Being physically active can reduce the chances of developing frailty, helping us maintain our independence in later life. 

“Regular physical activity provides a range of physical and mental health benefits including having a healthier heart, lowering the risk of conditions like dementia, Type 2 diabetes, stroke and some cancers.

“It can also make you feel happier, keep your brain sharp, help you age well and prevent falls.”

Local Community Pharmacist Paula Morgan from Orchard Pharmacy in Portadown welcomed the campaign.

“Community pharmacy is an ideal setting to help encourage people to look after their health by engaging in initiatives such as this new campaign,” Paula said.

“Increasing physical activity across the population can have social, environmental and economic benefits for communities and wider society, including cost savings for the health and social care system.

“Pharmacy teams will be promoting the benefits of physical activity and emphasising that it is never too late to be active. We would encourage patients and customers to ask their pharmacist for advice.”

Alison Patterson, Frailty Programme Manager with the PHA, said it is never too late to gain health benefits from taking up physical activity.

“The least active individual stands to gain the most from a small increase in physical activity, but for us all, even relatively small increases in physical activity can contribute to improved health and quality of life,” Alison said.

The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend being active for at least two and a half hours each week and doing activities to improve muscle strength at least twice a week.

Top tips

• Limit the amount of time spent being sedentary, such as lying or sitting.
• Adults should aim to be active daily. A little activity every day can make a big difference.
• Activities that improve strength and balance, such as carrying heavy shopping bags, yoga or doing exercises that use your own body weight, such as push-ups and sit-ups, contribute to healthy ageing, reducing the risk of falls and helping you feel more confident.

As part of the Living Well campaign, community pharmacies across Northern Ireland are providing free information booklets. Further information on the campaign can also be found at www.pha.site/Living-Well  

In addition to the campaign materials, information on ways to get active at www.choosetolivebetter.com

Resources on frailty and advice on how to age well including physical activity, nutrition and more at https://frailtynetwork.hscni.net/

The website www.walkni.com has information on short, medium and long walks across Northern Ireland and categorises these into beach, urban, hillside, woodland and so on so people can check out what types of walks are available close to them or further afield. Notes to the editor

In Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal study of Ageing (NICOLA) data indicates that 43% of adults aged 50 or over did not meet the UK recommendations of doing at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise. Inactivity rose with age and was higher in those living in deprived areas (Tully et al, 2017). www.qub.ac.uk/sites/NICOLA/ReportsandNewsletters/