Community pharmacies in Wales are to join GPs in being allowed to offer their patients remote video consultations, the Welsh government has said.
The government announced that it will be launching a pilot that will see video consultations extended to community pharmacies, opticians and dental practices. This will help pharmacies carry out a range of services remotely, including advising on common ailments and EHC consultations. It will also help them carry out Discharge Medicines Reviews and offer smoking cessation support.
Meanwhile, the pilot will allow dentists and opticians to offer pre-visit consultations to gain a better understanding of a patient’s medical history.
A recent evaluation of the remote consultation programme in Wales found there have been over 6,400 video GP consultations during the Covid-19 crisis, with the vast majority of patients rating the service as good or better.
