Coronavirus: Pharmacy services swamped by the wave of public panic

Now with doctors surgeries closed and hospitals preparing for rising numbers in need of critical care, pharmacists have seen unprecedented numbers of people.

Johnathan Burton, chairman of the Scottish Pharmacy Board, says they have experienced six weeks' of workload in just days given the demand and anxiety about people being able to access vital supplies and at a time when face to face GP services are not available.

Mr Burton said there was a number of measures pharmacies across the country have had to introduce quickly and during a time which is changing day by day.

He said they were having to balance the needs of the public against providing safety for staff and called for faster access to testing for pharmacists in a bid to allow them to continue working.

He said: "In a way we are the front of the front line if you like. We are a step before people go to see their GPs. Obviously that direct route isn't available to them at this point, so we have seen an unprecedented number of people which brings obvious risks."

Mr Burton says they have had to adapt such as limiting the number of people allowed in at a time and even asking people to keep their distance when queuing.

He added: "We are having to radically change the way we are working. Our work tends to be face to face and may have to examine someone for an ear infection - you can't do that at a distance. In some cases we are asking people who come in, and maybe showing signs of illness, to speak to us over the phone. However with something like a condition such as cellulitis. You can't let these things go undiagnosed as in extreme cases for example that could lead to sepsis which could mean the use of an intensive care bed - which then leads to more pressures in hospitals at this time."

Mr Burton said people are preparing for a potential period of lockdown and are naturally concerned about continuation of their medicine.

He added: "I think the key message for the public here is not to over order. We can keep the medical supply chain going there is resilience in supply.

"In terms of the types of medicine people can buy over the counter we would just advise them to buy what we are being told is the self-isolation period which is either seven days of 14 days depending if you are on your own or with others. There is no need to stockpile."

Testing and equipment for healthcare staff has been raised and Mr Burton believes pharmacists should be tested early if a member of their family suspected of having the virus.

"The talk so far has been of testing health care workers showings symptoms. The problem is if it is someone else you are close to showing signs then you are out of the workforce for 14 days, so faster testing it vital to allow us to be able to maintain service levels."

Mr Burton, who is a community pharmacist using based the the University of Stirling campus, says pharmacists should also be entitled to personal protective equipment.

He added: "As a precaution I have already been using gloves as have my colleagues, but we should have the same access to protective equipment as other healthcare professionals."

Mr Burton said some measures are being put in place which will help them in their role. There has also been an appeal for former healthcare workers to volunteer in such times.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged anyone who left the medical profession in the past three years to consider returning to help the fight against coronavirus.

Sharing a plea from Scotland's chief nursing officer Fiona McQueen, the First Minister tweeted: "Scotland's NHS needs our help to meet the #coronavirus challenge."

Mr Burton added: "This equally applied to pharmacists who are three years out of the profession and there is also the potential for student pharmacists to be able to help out."

Meanwhile, fire and rescue service personnel must receive priority testing and vaccination for coronavirus, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has said after some brigades reported losing hundreds of staff to self-isolation.

In a letter to ministers in Westminster and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the FBU has said that without testing, firefighters and control staff could be self-isolating unnecessarily, when they could be on hand to protect the public.

The union also says that testing could help reduce the risk of frontline staff transmitting the infection to vulnerable members of the public.

London Fire Brigade has at least 280 personnel in isolation, 5% of its overall staff; West Midlands Fire Service, which covers Birmingham, has 105 staff in self-isolation, 5.5%; Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has 285 staff in isolation, 3.75%; Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has 61 staff in isolation or 4%.

Fire and rescue services across the UK are operating with 11,500 fewer firefighters than in 2010, and, unless services are able to test their employees, they could face dangerous shortages.

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “In this time of national crisis, every emergency service worker has an important role to play. The NHS is an obvious priority, but any testing regime needs to address all key public services.

“Without proper testing, the number of fire and rescue personnel available could drop to dangerously low levels. Fires and other non-virus related emergency incidents won’t wait for this crisis to subside and ministers need to consider that carefully.

“It is vital for public safety that firefighters and control staff, like their colleagues in the NHS, receive priority testing and, once available, vaccination.

“We’re pushing for measures to limit our members’ exposure to the virus, but some interaction with the public cannot be avoided and ministers need to manage that risk.” There has also been a call to cease all non-essential, non-emergency public interactions.