Shared Care Resources

When most people think of a pharmacist, they immediately think of a person who stands behind a counter and dispenses medicines with instructions for use. But, the role of the pharmacist is changing. They have been identified as having a key role in delivering the NHS Long Term Plan. Within the speciality of wound care and compression therapy, pharmacists are ideally placed to offer advice and support in the management of simple wounds, such as cuts and grazes, blisters, lacerations and minor burns. They are also able to support the delivery of venous leg ulcer management by supplying compression therapy as first-line treatment as soon as possible.This article explores recent developments for pharmacists and how their role could free up general practitioner (GP), general practice nurse (GPN) and community nurse time.

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced the need for health care to be delivered in a different way to enable the NHS to be fit for purpose and continue to provide high levels of health care at an affordable cost. One way of doing this is to utilise the benefits of shared care, a concept that is not new, but has not yet been fully embraced. This encourages sharing the responsibility of delivering care in a variety of ways. Wound care is one area that provides general practice nurses (GPNs) with a significant opportunity for patients to be involved in their own care. This can even include wounds producing a high volume of wound exudate, if an appropriate dressing is selected which gives the patient confidence that it will work, despite the unpredictable nature of chronic wounds. Patients need a package of information to reinforce the verbal education given to ensure that they know how to carry out their care, and what to do in the event of a problem or change in wound status. Virtual clinics, which have been especially useful during the recent pandemic, are also an option to replace some face-to-face contact.