By Professor John Robertson
In the Guardian today with not a reference to Scotland or anywhere in Scotland:
UK pharmacists demand powers to change whooping cough prescriptions. Exclusive: Some pharmacies have turned away families because they have run out of the drug clarithromycin. Pharmacists are calling for fresh powers to provide patients with alternative prescriptions as they warned that drugs shortages are hampering their ability to tackle whooping cough.
More than 2,700 cases have been reported across England so far in 2024 – more than three times the number recorded in the whole of last year. But some pharmacies have been forced to turn away families seeking help for their children because they have run out of clarithromycin, a key antibiotic used to treat the condition. It means parents are having to shop around for prescriptions from other pharmacies or go back to their GP and ask for a different antibiotic, leading to potentially dangerous delays.
From the Guardian on May 9, not Anglocentric, for once:
Drug shortages in England are now at such critical levels that patients are at risk of immediate harm and even death, pharmacists have warned.
The situation is so serious that pharmacists increasingly have to issue “owings” to patients – telling someone that only part of their prescription can be dispensed and asking them to come back for the rest of it later, once the pharmacist has sourced the remainder.
The above makes no mention of Scotland. Searching for reports of shortages in Scotland gets the same story of shortages in England, in the Herald and the National plus, this intriguing suggestion:
One potential solution lies in affording community pharmacy greater latitude in altering prescriptions – a practice that could save immense amounts of NHS funds and ease the mounting pressure on pharmacy resources.
A change to medicines legislation is needed to enable pharmacists to speed up access to medicines. This would allow pharmacists to make minor adjustments to prescriptions to help alleviate some of the issues for patients and reduce burdens on primary care – with the added benefit of reducing the workload of GPs.
Pharmacists in hospital, and in community pharmacies in Scotland, already routinely alter prescriptions for the benefit of patients.
Also, in the same journal in August 2023:
Scotland’s model for pharmacy offers lessons for England’s future
As pharmacies in Scotland receive renewed government backing, Steve Anderson takes a look at the future of English pharmacy against the backdrop of a damning new report.
I must commend Scotland’s Pharmacy First model, which has set the standard for the delivery of patient services through pharmacies. With PHOENIX’s presence in 29 European countries, I can see that Scotland’s approach stands out for its reach and ambition. The key, however, to its success has been borne out of years of government investment and commitment to maintain a financially viable network based upon sustainable long-term funding.
Unlike in England, where community pharmacies have faced cumulative funding cuts of more than £750 million per year, Scotland’s investment has allowed pharmacies to focus on patient care without the constant financial pressures. Community pharmacies should not be viewed as disposable figures on a spreadsheet. Our pharmacy teams provide vital care in our communities, improving healthcare outcomes and helping to manage long-term conditions.
If England wishes to develop its own Pharmacy First approach, that is a key lesson it must learn. If Scotland had failed to offer a fair funding commitment to pharmacy, politicians in England would have been forgiven for thinking they could get away with a cut-price Pharmacy First model from a steadily shrinking number of pharmacies.
In Scotland, the outlook on community pharmacy is that it plays a crucial role in enhancing healthcare outcomes and increasing patient access to essential care. Community pharmacies are an important part of the overall system, but one that clearly differs from that of a GP or hospital.
Community pharmacies do have the potential to reduce pressures on the NHS, particularly as healthcare demands increase, but further action is essential to enable community pharmacy to play an enhanced role delivering more patient care services. While funding is vital, the issue is not exclusively based on money.
The lesson from Scotland could not be clearer: invest in a robust and sustainable pharmacy network that increases patient access to essential NHS care. This in turn will reduce cost and demand pressures on other parts of the NHS, improving patient satisfaction and health outcomes.
Imagine Reporting Scotland wondering what they can make of the above?
Talking-up Scotland / Facts on NHS, Crime, ferries and everything else you can think of 
I can only speak on a personal level, inasmuch as one of the items on my wife’s repeat prescription was delayed, in part, for a couple of weeks. She still had enough medication to see her through.
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There was a note on my repeat prescription when I collected it in March to say that there might be problems with availability but equivalent alternative medication would be found. So far I am still getting my usual brand of medication. However, I did think it was good of them to let me know and to offer reassurance.
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Another Scottish ”success” which slips through the cracks of the Unionist propaganda machine !
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