NHS England announces Pharmacies will receive more 111 referrals

To manage demand and under the schemes set out in the 5 year NHS plan, NHS 111 will redirect more callers to community pharmacies rather than GP’s.
A Digital Minor Illness Referral Service (DMIRS) is being piloted in community pharmacies across London, Devon, the East Midlands and the North East of England as agreed between NHS England and the British Medical Association. NHS England’s National Director of strategy and innovation Ian Dodge confirmed plans to roll out the service nationally as rapidly as possible.
Ian commented. “Referring more 111 callers to a community pharmacists will help alleviate demand, and deliver better care to patients and get community health teams working together.”
The contract plans for each primary care network in England to receive £38,000 to a hire a clinical pharmacist in 2019. Although many pharmacist representatives have expressed concern on the change in a community pharmacist’s role, chief pharmaceutical officer for England Keith Rudge believes it’s a “great opportunity for all pharmacy professionals to integrate into primary care. The NHs is already utilising the skills of pharmacy professionals to advise and treat patients, and their clinical skills will be needed by the NHS to achieve its vison for better safety, outcomes and value form medicines for patient.”