Healthy Living Pharmacy

The Healthy Living Pharmacy (HLP) framework is a tiered commissioning framework aimed at achieving consistent delivery of a broad range of high-quality services through community pharmacies to meet local need, improving the health and well-being of the local population and helping to reduce health inequalities.

The HLP framework is underpinned by three enablers:

GreenLife Pharma and Pharmacy Complete managed the training and transition from a regular pharmacy to a Healthy Living one. This is changed the way we think about the industry and all the pharmacies that we manage. Before Orford gained their ‘Healthy Living Pharmacy’ status, the level of service was, however, excellent but lacking in any new, outside the box thinking and mentality when dealing with customers. Rather than just dispensing their prescriptions and sending patients on the way, GreenLife Pharma is now open to a much more proactive way of thinking.

A number of extra services are now being implemented into Orford Pharmacy to make every contact between staff and patients count. Initiatives set in places by branch members such as weekly walks. This is where a group of customers join a member of staff for a walk around the local area, allowing the community to keep more fit and interact with one another, making new connections as well as getting health advice. This is an open group where anyone is welcomed to join, allowing a real sense of community to flourish surrounding the pharmacy. In turn, this is allowing us to push the message of health and well being to many people where previously may have never been exposed and reached such a wide audience.

Other initiatives implements include free alcohol awareness and blood pressure services available to all customers when they are in the pharmacy, we then are able to better advise each individual on any bad habits or lifestyle changes that need to be made to improve their wellbeing. As a result of all the hard work, we are then able to signpost any customers we feel need higher levels of treatment and refer them to the relevant local professional service for additional support.

When becoming a ‘Healthy Living Pharmacy’ at Orford Pharmacy it showed the local commissioners, local providers of health and most importantly our community, that the pharmacy has the willingness and capability to proactively engage with health and wellbeing.

With the current funding cuts and pressures experienced by GP services, offering healthy living advice in the pharmacy provides us with an opportunity to earn extra money, as well as ease the burden GPs face – especially during the winter months. As well as ensuring the NHS targets are met. It has also boosted retail revenues and allowed us as a pharmacy to sign up new patients, who have been brought in through the marketing of the services.