Safer consulting in minor illness: Evaluation of an online educational programme for community pharmacists

Over the past few years, the NHS has come under increasing pressure to find practical solutions to the workforce and workload crises that are affecting the delivery of primary care (Rosen, 2019). A significant part of the primary care workload relates to the assessment and management of patients with ‘minor illnesses’ (NHS England, 2016). Most minor illnesses resolve spontaneously and the symptoms that patients experience during these episodes can often be managed with over-the-counter rather than prescription medication. As a result, media campaigns are encouraging patients to visit their local pharmacy, rather than attend their local surgery or emergency department. However, this policy brings with it significant risks to both the patient and the community pharmacist (CP), as some of the patients who are being diverted to the pharmacy may either be in the early stages of a serious illness, or at increased risk of developing a serious complication of what is normally a minor illness (Silverston, 2014a). For patient safety not to be compromised by this policy, it is essential that CPs are aware of the serious illnesses that can mimic minor illnesses, as well as those patients who are at increased risk of developing a serious complication of a minor illness. This article describes an online educational programme that has been developed for CPs to increase their awareness of the potential risks involved in the assessment and management of patients with the symptoms of minor illness.