Free alcohol reduction service package launched for UK pharmacies

Pharmadoctor has announced that it has launched a new free Alcohol Reduction clinical service package for pharmacists.

It’s reported that 1 in every 100 people in the UK are alcohol dependent but only 18% of these are currently accessing treatment. With one of the highest rates of alcohol dependency in Europe, alcohol-related health issues in the UK cost the NHS ~£3.5 billion annually¹. By running an alcohol reduction service, Community Pharmacy can help tackle this problem.

In support of the Public Health England backed Dry January campaign managed by the charity Alcohol Change, Pharmadoctor is offering every pharmacy in the UK a free Alcohol Reduction pharmacy service package so that they can offer their patients more than just advice to help them reduce their consumption of alcohol.

The Pharmadoctor free package includes an Alcohol Reduction eTool which seamlessly guides pharmacists through patient consultations for alcohol consumption, then fully supports them to provide the required behaviour support to help patients reduce their harmful drinking. Integrated within the eTool, the PGD, which if suitable, enables pharmacists to dispense nalmefene hydrochloride dihydrate Selincro^® which is a NICE approved once-daily/on-demand treatment for the reduction of alcohol.

To support the new pharmacy service, Pharmadoctor is also providing a CPD training module and is investing in a nationwide service promotional campaign across social media, radio and TV to signpost patients to the pharmacies offering the new service via the Pharmadoctor patient website. Launched 1^st January, the campaign has already reached over 1 million people across the UK.

Commenting on the launch of the new package, Pharmadoctor CEO Graham Thoms said “Our new Alcohol Reduction package supports pharmacists to offer more than advice during Dry January and beyond, so it’s encouraging to see that over 120 pharmacies have already signed-up and are providing the service”. He goes on to say “for those patients who need additional support to reduce their alcohol consumption, pharmacies can now offer their patients the service with treatment for the equivalent of £4 per day. This is less than the cost of a pint of beer or a large glass of wine, so it’s affordable for patients who require additional support to reduce their drinking”.

Pharmacists can sign-up to the Pharmadoctor Alcohol Reduction Package for free by clicking here.

References

1. The staggering cost of NHS alcohol report available here.