New roles in pharmacy – learning from the All Wales Common Ailments Scheme

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of stakeholders on a national pilot of a new service, the ‘Choose Pharmacy’ Common Ailments Service (CAS) in Wales. Methods: Methods used were semi-structured interviews with stakeholders involved in development and delivery of the CAS. Snowball sampling was employed and invites were extended to eight of 13 pharmacies offering CAS in Cwm Taf LHB, the practice managers at two associated general practitioner surgeries and two local and national level commissioners. Key findings: The benefits of encouraging self-care by patients were widely recognised in terms of their impact on patients, health professionals and wider society. Although some challenges of introducing a new service were identified, these did not appear to be insurmountable. Conclusions: CAS was welcomed by stakeholders in terms of its potential benefits. Results are therefore encouraging for policy makers involved in the implementation of other new roles within community pharmacy in the UK and beyond.