COMMUNITY PHARMACY SCOTLAND CORNER


POINT OF CARE TESTING FOR SORE THROAT - SCOTLAND PILOT


Sore throats remain one of the most common acute presentations in primary care across the UK, accounting for nearly 10% of all GP appointments each year.


Differentiating between viral and bacterial causes of tonsillitis by clinical assessment is often difficult. However, despite 70% of cases presenting to primary care being viral, antibiotics are still prescribed for 40% of patients. One of the reasons for this over-prescribing of antibiotics has been attributed to traditional microbiological cultures taking up to 72 hours before a result is available. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK recommends prompt treatment with antibiotics in suspected cases of streptococcal infections, hence the habit of prescribing prior to a definitive result, if indeed a test is actually performed.


Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is the most common pathogenic bacterial cause of tonsillitis. Guidelines, including those from NICE suggest Diagnostic Scores such as FeverPAIN and Centor help clinicians identify which patients are most likely to have GAS infection. This will in turn


improve targeted antibiotic prescribing and could therefore reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. This has been shown to be aided further by adopting rapid Point of Care Testing. (POCT)


Much like covid lateral flow tests, POCTs are designed to be carried out near the patient and to provide accurate results quickly. There is substantial variability in the adoption of point-of- care tests (POCTs) for the management of acute infections across Europe, yet until recently this has been absent from all of the UK.


Over the past few years, there has been a sore throat test-and-treat service implemented in Wales and, more recently, in Northern Ireland, based on their pilots.


There is growing evidence, including that from NHS Wales Community Pharmacy teams, that use of a rapid Group A Strep Point of Care Test as part of a managed triaging process can reduce GP burden, and rationalise prescription of antibiotics. Furthermore, they have also demonstrated that the number of antibiotics issued within their


Pharmacy First scheme was much lower than the number issued within general practice.


Scotland have now taken tentative steps into this space with the implementation of a feasibility pilot in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. This is in line with the recently published CPS Manifesto which supports early detection of illness within the Community Pharmacy setting. The sites selected are all currently providing NHS Scotland Pharmacy First Plus which will enable the Pharmacist Independent Prescriber to utilise their enhanced consultation and prescribing skills and prescribe where necessary. The pilot is taking place in six Community Pharmacies across the NHS Board, with up to 180 Point of Care Tests allocated as part of the study.


Key focus will be given to patient education and support in terms of decision-making, as well as follow-up engagement to ascertain patient experience and feedback, in the hope of this setting the course for a roll-out of the service nationally.


To find out more about the CPS Manifesto visit: www.cps.scot/manifesto


SUPPORTING INFORMED PARTICIPATION IN SCOTLAND’S BOWEL CANCER SCREENING


With the support of NHS Scotland and Public Health Scotland, Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is running a bowel cancer screening campaign in Scotland from 7 April to 18 May 2026. The campaign aims to increase awareness of bowel cancer screening and support informed participation among eligible adults.


The campaign will target people aged 45 to 49 who are approaching eligibility for bowel cancer screening, as well as those aged 50 to 74 who are currently eligible and receive an invitation to participate every two years. A key focus is to emphasise that bowel cancer screening is for people without symptoms whilst also addressing other barriers to participation.


The latest data from Public Health Scotland (2022-2024) shows around a third of people (34%) invited for bowel cancer screening do not take part. A 2024 Cancer Awareness Measure survey found that reasons for non-participation in the


screening service in Scotland could be broken down to five main factors: • Not having any symptoms of bowel cancer • Being frightened of what the test might find. • Being unsure of how to complete the test and worried about getting it wrong


• Finding it too messy to complete the test • Forgetting to do the test


Community pharmacists can play a key role in supporting informed participation by raising awareness of bowel cancer screening and directing people to reliable sources of information. As such NHS Scotland and CRUK have produced a newsletter for Community Pharmacy teams identifying ways in which they can support the campaign.


Some tips and resources to support the campaign include: • Inform the wider Pharmacy team about the campaign.


• Help people understand that bowel cancer screening is for people without symptoms. It’s important to encourage people experiencing symptoms to contact their GP practice.


• Signpost people to reliable sources of information on screening.


• Share the wallet-sized guides to make sure eligible people have the right information to make an informed choice about participating in screening.


Be aware that some individuals face barriers that make it more difficult for them to access bowel cancer screening.


These could include language difficulties, trouble understanding screening information, fear of results or previous negative experiences.


The campaign will run from 7 April to 18 May 2026 on TV, radio, press, billboards, social media and regional media.


scotpharm.com 7


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48