An exploration of pharmacy management of acne and dermatitis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A feasibility study exploring community pharmacy diagnosis and management of dermatitis and acne
IRAS ID
161372
Contact name
Derek Stewart
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Robert Gordon University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Self-care is a feature of the patient-centred NHS with the prominent role of community pharmacy highlighted in government policy and some evidence of enhancing access and reducing NHS direct and indirect costs.
Dermatological conditions constitute a large proportion of general practitioner workload with dermatitis and acne accounting for 6.8 and 2.4 million UK annual consultations. In the management of dermatitis and acne, it was estimated that 90 and 80% respectively of consultations could be managed in pharmacies (Claire Weaver, Proprietary Association of Great Britain, personal communication, 2014). Pharmacists are highly accessible sources of professional advice, available on a non-appointment basis.Furthermore, reduction in general practitioner workload can lead to considerable economic gain. Some evidence shows that community pharmacists perceive that patients frequently seek their advice on conditions such as eczema/dermatitis yet there is a paucity of studies on the outcomes associated with pharmacy supported self-care of dermatological conditions. This study aims to test the feasibility of the use of audio-recording of consultations and the use of digital photography in the assessment of the clinical appropriateness and effectiveness of pharmacy interventions for these conditions. This builds on our previous work in dermatology and assessment of consultations.REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/EM/1146
Date of REC Opinion
19 Sep 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion