�The NPA regards the switch of azithromycin from POM to P as an unequalled opportunity for community chemist's to suit an alternative option for safe and effective handling for chlamydia infection.
Under the proposed pharmacy role model, patients benefit from an additional author of testing and treatment - on a countrywide scale. This additional route would satiate a gap in provision, making it easier and quicker for people to receive masking and set aside treatment. It will besides provide a convenient and confidential option for people who would prefer non to attend a GUM clinic or GP surgery for chlamydia treatment. This pharmacy service will as well be helpful to the National Chlamydia Screening Programme through the sharing of anonymised demographic data with the NHS.
Colette McCreedy, NPA Chief Pharmacist said:
"The NPA supports this reclassification wholeheartedly as we believe community pharmacies are ideally placed to offer chlamydia screening and treatment. We also believe that the proposed pharmacy service will complement existing provision within the NHS and will help to ease the financial restrictions and overstretched resources presently affecting existent services for this apace escalating problem."
And adds:
"The MHRA has demonstrated great confidence in apothecary's shop by bringing an antibiotic drug to the P market. This volition, we hope, mark the beginning of a new phase of POM to P switches."
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) was constituted in 1921 as the trade association of community pharmacy owners. To ruminate the changes in the pharmacy environment the NPA now extends membership and its associated benefits to all members of the community pharmacy infrastructure.
National Pharmacy Association
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