Would you like some advice with that?
People in Solihull can expect to walk away with more than just their prescription when they visit their local pharmacy in the future.
Eleven pharmacies in the borough are to become new ‘Healthy Living Pharmacies’ (HLP) offering people more advice and support to lead healthier lifestyles.
Each pharmacy will have at least two accredited ‘Health Champions’ who have been trained to give customers health and wellbeing advice as well as information about services in the community that can help them to improve their health in areas such as weight management, alcohol consumption and help to quit smoking.
By shifting the focus from treatment to prevention, the aim is that people will benefit from living well for longer and the burden on other services including GPs and hospitals is decreased.
Solihull Public Health has been working closely with participating pharmacies, overseeing the project and providing the necessary staff training with the overall aim that the remainder of Solihull’s community pharmacies will also work towards gaining HLP status. Accredited pharmacies are awarded with the HLP quality mark so that they are identifiable within the community.
Councillor Ken Meeson, Chair of Solihull’s Health and Wellbeing Board said: “Pharmacies are an integral part of their communities, dispensing prescriptions and giving advice that can often save a trip to the GP or local hospital. Many are open when Doctors’ surgeries are closed and serve a range of people from those who only pop in for basic remedies to those with more long term health concerns. Trusted and easily accessible without an appointment they have great potential to improve the health of local people, including those who may not go to their GPs. They also have an important role in supporting people to adopt better lifestyles that not only help them to live longer and healthier lives but can also reduce the pressure on other over-stretched health services.”
The eleven pharmacies in Solihull currently working towards HLP status should receive their accreditations by November this year. The pharmacies are:
Lloyds Pharmacy, Shirley
Tesco Pharmacy, Shirley
Dudley Taylor, Cheswick Green
Craig Croft, Chelmsley Wood
Dalton Pharmacy, Dickens Heath
MR Pharmacy, Monkspath
Browns Pharmacy, Warwick Rd
Browns Pharmacy, Kingshurst
Boots Pharmacy, Hatchford Brook
St Marys Pharmacy, Hampton in Arden
Lloyds Pharmacy, Castle Bromwich
Carol McNidder, Pharmacy Manager at Dudley Taylor in Cheswick Green said: “We are thrilled to be taking part in this initiative which will really utilise the skills of the pharmacy team in improving and increasing the services we provide for the benefit of the health and well being of our patients.”
Healthy Living Pharmacies (HLP), initially developed in Portsmouth are now being rolled out across the country. There are currently over 1000 HLPs in England with an ambition from Public Health England that will increase substantially.
