Eleanor and Shelley – both ACPTs working for Rowlands Pharmacy in the Wrexham area – implemented a programme in March 2019 with the objective of taking community pharmacy services from behind the pharmacy counter and out into the community. This raised awareness of, and increased access to, pharmacy services, and, in particular, community pharmacy’s role as the first port-of-call in caring for the health of the local population.

They led and co-ordinated events in a mixture of community venues and local workplaces, during which they conducted blood pressure measurement, and offered advice on stop smoking, weight management, EHC, and flu vaccination. They also heightened knowledge of newer services, such as the Common Ailments Service and Sore Throat Test and Treat, and signposted patients where necessary.

Shelley and Eleanor also drafted in colleagues working across the Rowlands Pharmacies in the Wrexham area to support the initiative; providing coaching and practical hands-on training.