6 July 2006

An innovative pilot scheme in which cancer patients can receive chemotherapy and supportive care treatment at a pharmacy or a GP surgery is being evaluated at The School of Pharmacy.

The Chemotherapy Unit at the Whittington Hospital is continuing to offer its services for cancer patients, but treatments are currently also being offered at a local GP surgery and at the Green Light Pharmacy in Clerkenwell. 

The pilot scheme was designed after investigations into ways of improving access to treatments, reducing waiting times and increasing patient choice. User group analysis and patient feedback led to the exploration of specialist anti-cancer treatment in the home, GP practices and community based pharmacies.

The scheme is being led by postgraduate student Helen Taylor, Macmillan Ambulatory Cancer Care Pharmacist at the Whittington Hospital, and her colleague Jill Ireland, Nurse Consultant and Lead Clinician for Cancer. 

With funding from Macmillan Cancer Support, Ms Taylor is exploring several new models of care for cancer patients. She is undertaking a full evaluation of the pilot scheme by way of a PhD project, supervised by Dr Catherine Duggan and Professor Ian Bates at The School of Pharmacy. Dr Duggan is encouraged by initial uptake: “The implementation of new patient centred services is vastly enhanced by thorough evaluation and provides us with evidence of what works for patients and professionals and, just as importantly, what doesn’t work. By researching what we practice, we can more fully contribute to the evidence base for health services development across the board.”

Deanna Rogers of the patient support group CancerLIFE is in praise of the scheme: “Pharmacy has changed substantially over the last few years.  Many shops have consulting rooms used for counselling, complementary therapies and for pharmacists to provide advice in a confidential setting. By involving pharmacists in the community chemotherapy services, GP burdens will be eased and the patient can receive treatment in a more relaxing yet professional environment.”

Co-founders of Green Light, pharmacists Tim O’Donoghue and John Foreman, think that this is the future of pharmacy: “Pharmacists are now becoming more obvious members of the NHS team, no longer restricted to what the public may have perceived to be little more than a distribution function.  As satisfied patients like what is on offer, and become accustomed to viewing pharmacists in a more professional light, the range of services available through pharmacies will grow.  Community pharmacies are now providing the public with choice and accessibility which they have said they require from a modern NHS.”

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