Community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Glasgow and Clyde are helping to improve palliative care services for patients with cancer and other long-term conditions, as part of a new scheme funded by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GG&C) and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Following a successful three-year pilot, 10 Macmillan pharmacy facilitators, including pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, have been recruited to deliver palliative care training to all 317 community pharmacies in the area, as well as promoting appropriate prescribing and dispensing of palliative care medicines. In addition, the Macmillan pharmacy facilitators will work to increase awareness among other healthcare professionals of the community pharmacy palliative care network – a group of 70 local pharmacies that stock an agreed list of specialist palliative care medicines and provide urgent out-of-hours access.

“The service is aligned with the Scottish Government’s ‘Living and Dying Well’ action plan, which aims to provide high quality care based on patient needs, not diagnosis,” Kate McCusker, lead pharmacist for the Macmillan Pharmacy Service, NHS GG&C told TM. “It aims to improve palliative care in the community, ensure that care is more joined up and allow people to die where they choose.”