کتاب: Community Pharmacy : Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Global healthcare policy now has a strong self-care focus and various strategies have been put in place to encourage consumers to have a more active role in exercising self-care. Pharmacies unquestionably handle and manage large numbers of consumers who seek help and advice for minor illness, and advocates of pharmacy have argued that this will decrease doctor workload regarding minor illness, allowing them to concentrate more on ‘complex’ patient care. The expansion of non-prescription medicines has undoubtedly contributed to the growth seen in the market and given consumers greater choice. It has also provided community pharmacy with an opportunity to demonstrate real and tangible benefits to consumers by facilitating patient self-care. For example, in the UK, Governmentendorsed (and funded) schemes such as Minor Ailment Schemes have shown the positive impact community pharmacy can have on patient outcomes. However, research data on the impact community pharmacy makes to patient outcomes through facilitated self-medication is less convincing