Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies paid a visit to a Denbigh pharmacy earlier this month to hear about the challenges they are facing and to discuss potential opportunities for them in the future.
During his meeting with staff at Rowlands Pharmacy in Denbigh on January 13th, James was told about the services they currently provide and their concerns going forward.
James, who was a full-time GP prior to being elected on December 12th, said:
“Pharmacies do fantastic work helping to ease the pressure on GPs by offering services such as the Common Ailment Scheme (which often alleviates the need for a GP appointment), administering vaccines and providing smoking cessation.
“It was good to meet staff at Rowlands Pharmacy in Denbigh to learn more about the services they provide there and to also discuss the challenges facing pharmacies here in North Wales.
“We discussed the opportunities for pharmacies moving forward, training and vacancy issues, their interaction with the local health board and immigration policy for pharmacists post-Brexit. I also raised the need for the NHS in Wales to embrace electronic prescribing, as in England.”
James added:
“I would like to thank the staff in Rowlands in Denbigh for the excellent service they are providing to the local community and I urge people to use it.
“Our NHS is under immense pressure here in the Vale of Clwyd and I would encourage people to help ease that pressure by following the advice of the ‘Choose Well’ scheme and selecting the right service for their needs. Pharmacists are highly qualified health professionals who can give advice and treatment on a range of conditions. Often a visit to them is all that is needed. If it isn’t then they will let you know whether your condition or the type of medicine you require will still require an appointment with a GP or another health care professional”.
To find out more about the ‘Choose Well’ scheme, visit http://www.choosewellwales.org.uk/pharmacist