NHS Fife Pharmacy 30:Layout 1 - Community Pharmacy

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HEAT TARGETS • VOUCHER SCHEME • COMPETITION WINNER • TOBACCO ISSUES CONFERENCE ISSUE 30 Fife Pharmacy News JUNE/JULY 2009 Note from the Editor Welcome to the latest edition of Fife Pharmacy News! In this issue, we’ve decided to focus on the importance of the stop smoking service within Fife, and the huge role that pharmacy services plays in supporting those who choose to stop . I hope you’ll find this special edition an interesting and informative read! Fiona Forsyth, Communications Officer Fife’s HEAT Targets – How is it going? BACKGROUND The Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing is responsible for all Scotland’s Health Boards. To help NHS Scotland deliver key objectives as determined by the Cabinet Secretary, all health boards are monitored against a set of objectives and measures called HEAT Targets. These are divided into four areas; Health Improvement, Efficiency and Governance, Access to Services and Treatment. Smoking Cessation is part of the Health Improvement category, where the key objective, through stop smoking services is to reduce adult (16+) smoking rates from 26.5% (2004) to 22% (2010). In Fife, the target is to support 8% of the smoking population in successfully quitting (one month post quit). PHARMACY’S ROLE The Public Health Service element of the Pharmacy Contract aims to ensure as many smokers as possible are offered support to stop smoking through a Community Pharmacy Smoking Cessation Service. Smoking affects the health of everyone and despite the 2008 ban on smoking in public places, there are still moderately high levels of smoking throughout Fife. WHERE ARE WE? Over the last eight years there has been a reduction in smoking rates. In Scotland, this has reduced from nearly 25% to 20%. Collaboration between Community Pharmacy, Primary Care Development Pharmacists, Fife’s Smoking Cessation Service and associated specialist workers means we are able to identify ways to resolve issues and provide the appropriate support. This aids in the improvement of both activity levels and data capture and keeps us moving in the right direction to help achieve the targets. STOP SMOKING – NHS STATISTICS This is the third annual release of statistics from the national smoking cessation monitoring in Scotland, covering the 2008 calendar year. Information is taken from the agreed national minimum dataset for smoking cessation services (developed by PATH, part of ASH Scotland), following consultation with services and others and is based on 'quit attempts' made during the year. WHO’S GIVING UP? (Scotland) • 4.8% of the smoking population made a quit attempt • 60% of quit attempts were by females and 40% males • 80% of quit attempts were from people living in urban areas and 12% rural areas • 1733 quit attempts were made by pregnant women • 70% of quit attempts involved the use of NRT WHERE ARE WE GIVING UP? Quit attempts made in Pharmacy Services and in Non- Pharmacy NHS Cessation Services (2008) NHS Board Pharmacy Non-pharmacy Fife 18% 92% HOW ARE WE GIVING UP? Percentage of quit attempts made by pharmacotherapy (2008) NHS Board NRT Varenicline Bupropion Fife 58% 34% 0% Scotland 70% 17% 0% If you would like to submit an article or make any suggestions to Fife Pharmacy News, please contact : Fiona Forsyth, Communications Officer, NHS Fife, Pharmacy Services Pentland House, Lynebank Hospital, Halbeath Road, Dunfermline, Fife, KY11 4UW Tel: 01383 565375
No Butts! – John’s the Winner One lucky winner has been chosen from the recent competition to name the new Fife Pharmacy Smoking Cessation Service. The competition attracted a good number of entries from Pharmacy staff throughout Fife. The panel of judges from Fife’s Smoking Cessation Service and Fife Pharmacy decided that “No Butts – Ask your Pharmacist!” was the most appropriate name for the service. Many suggestions were received and in the end the winner, John Thompson, Pharmacy Manager from Lindsay and Gilmour Pharmacy in Inverkeithing was chosen for his creative and informative entry. John received a voucher for a meal for two for his efforts. To explain the reasoning behind the name, John said, “I put lots of thought into my entry and tried to use some psychology too! Stopping smoking can be really difficult so hopefully, our service will help people to be less afraid to ask their local pharmacy for help and advice to stop smoking.” Combination NRT – The Benefits Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) medications are well known to provide effective treatment for tobacco dependence. However, there is now strengthening evidence which demonstrates that to further improve the value of NRT it is possible to combine one medication providing passive nicotine delivery (e.g. transdermal patch) with another medication that allows nicotine delivery at the patient’s discretion (e.g. gum, inhaler). Combining NRT medications not only fulfills the smoker’s requirement for an effective, slow delivery method which helps achieve a constant concentration of nicotine, but also reacts to breakthrough cravings and withdrawal symptoms by providing a fast acting preparation which can be taken on demand for immediate relief. Combination NRT therefore, has huge potential to provide effective treatment for tobacco dependence in difficult to manage patients. And a New Logo too! In addition to our new name, “No Butts – Ask your Pharmacist!” We also have a new logo for our service. Look out for it in the coming months to help highlight the Pharmacy service. Fife Tobacco Issues Conference Pittencreiff Park in Dunfermline was the venue for Fife’s Tobacco Issues Conference on 27 May 2009. Promoting Excellence through Alliance was the theme where various organisations with an interest in reducing tobacco use came together. This year’s conference was held in an attempt to influence the development of local activities involving parents, schools and the local community in education programmes for young people, promotion of smoke free homes, reducing under age tobacco sales and further developing stop smoking support. Dr Mike Roworth, Public Health Consultant, NHS Fife opened the conference which began with an informative look at the national picture from Mary Cuthbert, Tobacco Control Division – Scottish Government. Smoking Cessation Support within Scottish workplaces was presented by Nina Torbett from the Centre for Healthy Working Lives, and Heather Sloan from the Renfrewshire CHP Health Improvement Team gave an insightful presentation on methods and approaches to encourage engagement. Pupils from Kirkland High School at the Fife Pharmacy stand attending the conference The conference also included information on local enforcement issues, given by Geoff Bates, Fife Council Trading Standards as well as an overview of Alliance Working from Janet Wilson, the Local Alliance Officer from ASH Scotland. Workshop sessions took place during the event; Smoke Free Homes and Zones led by Kay Samson, Tobacco Issues Co-ordinator and Julie Lennox from FMR Research, as well as Current Local Provision: Successes and Challenges, led by Mike Roworth, Andrea Smith, Development Pharmacist and the Quit 4 Life Community Midwives. Prevention and Young People, led by Emma Cepok and Brian Pringle from ASH Scotland, Engagement; the 3Rs (Reach, Recruitment, Retention) with Belinda Morgan from Board's PFPI Team and, Stop Smoking in the Workplace led by Nina Torbett from the Centre for Healthy Working Lives, supported by Katie Provan. Delegates came together from a diverse list of organisations including; NHS Fife, Fife Council, Richmond Fellowship, Kirkland High School, Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation and CVS Fife. The Speakers at the conference: Mary Cuthbert (Tobacco Control Division – Scottish Government), Nina Torbett (Centre for Healthy Working Lives), Heather Sloan (Renfrewshire CHP Health Improvement Team), Janet Wilson (ASH Scotland), Dr Mike Roworth (Public Health Consultant, NHS Fife), Geoff Bates (Fife Council Trading Standards) and Kay Samson (Tobacco Issues Co-ordinator, NHS Fife) Throughout the day, poster presentations were on display highlighting valuable information and the various services (including Fife Pharmacy) dedicated to providing stop smoking support. Feedback from the conference has been very positive. 2
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