In this episode we discuss the important role that community pharmacists (CPs) play in everyday frontline healthcare. To help us take a deep dive into this multifaceted role we were delighted to be joined by Rebecca Wicks, a clinical Pharmacist who specialises in Menopause & Lifestyle Medicine.

After listening to this episode you’ll realise why, at the start, we mentioned that the praises of these multitasking ‘ninjas’ are not sung nearly enough!

There’s so much going on behind the scenes, which many will be unaware of, from dispensing, supporting staff, checking prescriptions, managing orders flying in, to then coping with the ever-increasing walk-ins seeking advice and information.

Being easily accessible they can often be the first point of call resulting in a relentless juggling act trying to meet patient’s expectations alongside constantly trying to full fill their own.

We cover what should be your reasonable expectations from a local pharmacy taking into account the natural disparity between pharmacies across the country. Menopause - wise, (at time of recording), within NHS run pharmacies there are no renumerated Menopause services. You will, however, often find pharmacists going the extra mile to provide information and options for managing symptoms.

We clarify the difference between CPs & Practice Pharmacists. We revisit the ever-expanding minefield of the supplement industry and what about HRT reviews?

Listen to realise the knock on effects which pharmacies experienced nationally when there was a sudden surge in raised awareness and requests for HRT. Absolutely fantastic to raise awareness but unfortunately resulted in triggering an unprecedented reaction for those working on the frontline…maybe a small nod in the direction of a collaborative conversation wouldn’t go amiss in future!

By the end of this episode we hope you come away with a newfound respect for the role that CPs play as trusted health advisors and providers within our communities and a realisation that things like shortages of medications can be just as frustrating for them as for patients. As always an interesting listen and if you’re a CP seeking further training within the area of Women’s Health, we cover that too! Finally, listen out for our “nugget of knowledge”, with some important advice that is more relevant today than ever before!

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