Lalys Pharmacy has been named as the most proactive participants in a new pilot scheme that aims to allow pharmacists an increasingly responsible role in the prescribing and administering use of the contraceptive pill.
Having successfully taken part in Tier 1 of NHS England’s ‘Long Term Plan’ for community pharmacies to provide locally commissioned contraception and sexual health services, Lalys Pharmacy is proud to share its intention to fully participate in the second stage of the pilot scheme.
‘The first tier of the initiative was for pharmacies to monitor and supply repeat prescriptions of oral contraception commonly known as ‘the pill’,’ explains Lalys Pharmacy’s Project Lead, Pharmacist Priya Littler. ‘We were told that Portsmouth has very much led the way in this pilot. It’s success led to the implementation of the national ongoing contraception service.’
‘In Tier 1, we could only fulfil repeat prescriptions,’ Priya explains. ‘If an individual came to us after having had a break from taking the pill, we had to refer them back to the doctor for a new prescription.’
‘As we progress to Tier 2, we are able to ‘reset’ prescriptions after a break, assess whether a patient is taking the correct form of contraceptive pill, recommend an alternative if we think it better for a patient based on their medical history, and even prescribe contraception to people for the first time.’
By mid-June, the South East of England had completed 106 of the 176 Tier 2 consultations. After such a positive result from the first stage of the process, Lalys Pharmacy is proud to be doing its part to help alleviate pressures on the NHS.
‘Everyone is aware that all NHS services are having to constantly evaluate how they spend their time and resources,’ says Director, Dr Raj Laly. ‘By helping making this scheme a success for oral contraception, it frees up the time for Sexual Health Clinics and GP surgeries to focus on supporting other methods such as implants, coils and contraceptive injections.’
‘There is no doubt that the increased involvement of community pharmacy in the area of contraception will be of benefit to patients,’ says Priya. ‘Our opening hours make us very accessible and, even though we use consultation rooms for privacy, it can be a far more relaxed atmosphere.’