Sore throat: Quick reference guide for pharmacists
Sore throat is one of the most common upper respiratory tract infections for which antibiotics are used inappropriately. This quick reference guide covers causes, triage, and pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments, and it provides links to further resources.
Videos: Sore throat management in the community
Sore throat is generally a self-limiting condition that usually has no significant long-term harmful effects on health. It consists of a painful, dry or scratchy feeling in the throat. Pharmacists play an important role in supporting self-care in cases of sore throat and can thus avoid patients’ unnecessary use of other healthcare resources and the unwarranted use of antimicrobials. This series includes six videos on different aspects of sore throat management, from causes and symptoms, to triage and pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options
Videos: Recognising and managing chronic bronchitis in the community
To mark World COPD Day, (16 November), FIP is launching a new series of short videos aiming to support pharmacists in recognising and managing chronic bronchitis in the community. Chronic bronchitis is included under the umbrella term COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and has numerous clinical consequences, such as predisposition to lower respiratory tract infections, accelerated decline in lung function, and decreased health-related quality of life. Chronic bronchitis can be common and can go unrecognised and undiagnosed at the early stages. Identification, advice, management and referral are all ways in which pharmacists can play a role.
Empowering self-care: A handbook for pharmacists
This handbook aims to provide the pharmacy workforce with relevant and concise guidance on coaching
practices and person-centred approaches to promoting and engaging in self-care. It discusses current trends
and strategies in self-care and explores the implications, innovations and approaches adopted across several
practice areas. It also aims to support and engage the frontline pharmacy workforce to overcome the barriers,
challenges and realities of self-care while exploring the extent of all its potential benefits, especially those
that contribute to the vision for UHC.
Towards sustainable and universal healthcare systems and coverage – 1st collection of summaries from the digital events programme
Pharmacists contribute daily towards making health systems more efficient and sustainable, and hence towards universal health coverage (UHC). They do this by supporting and empowering patients and consumers in making better health choices, leading to optimal outcomes. This is part of their role all around the world as healthcare professionals at the hearts of communities, who deal with consultations on a variety of self-care topics in their practice. Self-care spans the whole wellness spectrum, from disease prevention to the management of symptoms and common ailments.
The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) organised a programme of digital events in 2021–22 called “Shaping the future of self-care through pharmacy”, which included two series of events focusing on the policy elements and the practice elements of this role. The first series, “Towards sustainable and universal healthcare systems and coverage”, had the following aims:
• To share and discuss strategies adopted by pharmacy leaders and workers, including FIP member organisations, to accelerate universal health coverage by enabling self-care;
• To describe sector or area-specific implications, innovations and approaches adopted across practice; and
• To discuss the implications of optimising self-care and the role of pharmacy.
These events included a variety of international stakeholders and partners in the area of self-care, such as the Global Self-Care Federation, the International Self-Care Foundation, the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union, the Association of the European Self-Care Industry, and others.
Self-care support for community pharmacy teams – 2nd collection of summaries from the digital events programme
Community pharmacies are often the first point of contact for patients and the public with a healthcare professional, for consultations and triage of common ailments and advice on non-prescription medicines. This important role — which leverages the accessibility of community pharmacists and the trust placed upon them by the population — delivers great value not only for patients and consumers, but also for healthcare systems and society as a whole.
Acknowledging the importance of this role, the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) places great emphasis on advocating its adequate recognition but also on providing practising pharmacists with resources to support it and facilitate its implementation in practice. For that reason, FIP organised a programme of digital events in 2021–22 called “Shaping the future of self-care through pharmacy”, which included two series of events focusing on the policy elements and the practice elements of this role. The second series, “Self-care support for community pharmacy teams”, had the following aims:
• To provide relevant information, guidance and updates for pharmacists and the pharmacy workforce on self-care so they can take a person-centred approach;
• To describe sector- or area-specific implications, innovations and approaches adopted across practice;
• To engage front-line workers of the health and pharmacy workforce to know about the self-care realities facing them around the world;
• To discuss the implications of optimising self-care and the role of pharmacy;
• To consider common conditions and how they can be supported through self-care; and
• To assess and discuss the evidence behind treatments used in self-care.
These events covered a range of clinical areas that community pharmacists are commonly consulted about. They included experts with different academic or professional backgrounds, who shared their expertise on how pharmacists can have a direct impact on patients’ well-being through self-care.
Cold, flu and sinusitis: Managing symptoms and supporting self-care. A handbook for pharmacists
Pharmacists are embedded key players in the health landscape of their communities and are trusted for
patient-centred, comprehensive, timely advice. The accessibility of pharmacy means that the knowledge and
skills of community pharmacists are extensively sought by everyone from teenagers to new parents, to older
adults and everyone in between. This handbook will further strengthen their essential role within the
community to provide optimal patient care and support informed self-care.
This publication serves as a ready-to-use reference document covering different aspects of the management of
common URTIs in the community setting. Throughout the various sections, guidelines, algorithms and
summary tables, this handbook is meant to support pharmacists in promoting respiratory well-being,
developing a thorough understanding of commonly encountered URTIs, and navigating through both nonpharmacological and pharmacological management options.
Community pharmacy at a glance 2021 – Regulation, scope of practice, remuneration and distribution of medicines through community pharmacies and other outlets (2021)
The scope of community pharmacy practice and the sector’s regulation, distribution of medicines and remuneration are among the aspects explored in this FIP report. The report presents data from 79 countries that took part in a detailed survey between November 2020 and January 2021, giving the most up-to-date snapshot of the state of community pharmacy around the world.
Community pharmacy global report 2021 – Regulation, scope of practice, remuneration and distribution of medicines through community pharmacies and other outlets
FULL REPORT – FOR FIP MEMBER ORGANISATIONS ONLY
The scope of community pharmacy practice and the sector’s regulation, distribution of medicines and remuneration are among the aspects explored in this FIP report. The report presents data from 79 countries that took part in a detailed survey between November 2020 and January 2021, giving the most up-to-date snapshot of the state of community pharmacy around the world.
Nutrition and weight management services: A toolkit for pharmacists (2021)
The aim of this toolkit is to equip pharmacists with knowledge in general nutrition and general weight management strategies so they can play an increased role in the communities they serve and support other healthcare providers involved in their patients’ care, including general and specialist physicians, nurses, dieticians, nutritionists, dentists etc., and to be proactive in facilitating discussions about nutrition and physical activity with their patients. Pharmacists across the world are already taking steps to promote healthy lifestyles among their patients through a variety of innovative initiatives, ranging from educational campaigns to more direct patient counselling strategies and programmes.
Joint Statement of Policy by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and the Global Self-Care Federation (GSCF) on Responsible and Effective Self-care (2021)
The objective of this statement is to describe the united role and intention of the pharmacy profession and industry in delivering solutions to people to facilitate self-care and in engaging with stakeholders including governments to further develop self-care as a core pillar of sustainable healthcare systems. This statement considers regulated or evidence-based selfcare products designed to promote good health, or to prevent and/or to treat ill health through self-care, and to achieve positive outcomes for people’s health. In this context, pharmacists play a key role when assisting individuals as they can provide unbiased, evidence based advice and information about regulated or evidence-based self-care products and services available.
Pharmacists supporting women and responsible use of medicines: Empowering informal care givers (2018)
Women are the non-professional caregivers closest to healthcare professionals and are often the ones who visit pharmacies and assume responsibilities for health in the household. In general, women tend to seek treatment and visit doctors or pharmacies (and pharmacists) more frequently than men do. It is often the woman who encourages family members to visit a healthcare professional and who makes sure they take medicines and understand the treatment.
Pharmacists should support women in these emerging roles, because medicines are like a double-edged sword — of great benefit if used correctly, but capable of causing harm if used incorrectly. In this reference document, attention is paid to the fact that women as informal caregivers considerably lighten the load of the healthcare labour force, often playing a crucial and underappreciated role in providing healthcare to families and communities.
Pharmacy as a gateway to care: Helping people towards better health (2017)
This reference paper reviews the current state of consumer interest in health care and presents a collection of evidence of pharmacy services related to self-care and the value that pharmacists bring to health care systems in this way. It lays out the drivers of self-care and profound changes in the way health care systems operate.
Pharmacy a gateway to care: policy statement (2017)
This statement underscores the importance and benefits of self care. It recognises both the personal responsibility of patients to enhance and maintain their own health and well-being, and the responsibility of pharmacists to support patients in self care activities. Appropriate support by pharmacists will assist patients in improved or maintained health, greater health self-efficacy, and higher economic efficiency.
