Ear Health and Microsuction

Currently, there is a huge unmet demand for ear and hearing healthcare services. Many GPs are no longer offering wax removal services, and increasingly patients are seeking private alternatives. As a result, the role of community pharmacies has been steadily increasing, with many pharmacies already expanding their care offering, to provide an ear and hearing healthcare check-ups to their community.

The demand for ear and hearing healthcare services is growing due to an ever-increasing ageing population, exposure to loud music and the misuse of products such as cotton buds.

Why should I offer this service?

Pharmacies are uniquely positioned in the heart of their local communities and as such are able to offer thousands of people in the UK suffering from ear and hearing health conditions faster and easier access to diagnosis and treatment services.

Patients are increasingly visiting their community pharmacy as the first point of call for a wide variety of common ailments and conditions, and ear health is no different. With a significant NHS waiting list for wax removal, pharmacies can meet this growing demand by offering a private service to their patients.

Pharmacies already offering this service are typically charging £60 per patient and seeing an average of 2-4 patients per week. For more information on how you can add this service to your pharmacy’s offering and create a new revenue stream, see below.

How do I get started?

The NPA has partnered with TympaHealth to make this as simple as possible to set up in your pharmacy.

TympaHealth provides everything you need to provide comprehensive ear health and micro suction service to your patients. The Tympa system empowers pharmacists to perform digital otoscopy, micro suction wax removal and a hearing screening, all in a single 30-minute appointment. What’s more, pharmacists can access remote advice and guidance from Audiologists and ENT specialist surgeons, when required.

The Tympa system offers unrivalled portability, and the opportunity to deliver the service without needing to see a specialist within a secondary care setting. The Tympa system is the most advanced, comprehensive, handheld ear and hearing healthcare device and diagnosis platform available to pharmacies. Read more on the TympaHealth product brochure: tympahealth.io/NPA_Product_Brochure

Comprehensive Training provided by TympaHealth includes:

  • Online training module plus face to face – suitable for pharmacists and registered members of the pharmacy team
  • One day shadowed in pharmacy training for first clinic – full support and observation of technique used and successful use of micro-suction.
  • Online training support and 7 days per week contact
  • Online CPD and accredited by BSA, BSHAA and ENT UK

TympaHealth also provide a range of resources and marketing to support your service delivery, as well as all equipment needed to successfully operate this service.

For more information on the TympaHealth system and to find out how you can expand your services to deliver ear and hearing healthcare in your community visit (NPA business partner page: https://www.npa.co.uk/businesspartners/tympa-health-technologies-ltd/ ) , or request a call from one of team here:

Insurance

As NPAI members pharmacists are already covered to provide this service with no additional premiums necessary – for non-pharmacists wanting to deliver the service contact the team on 01727 795914 to discuss any additional premiums.

Supporting your service delivery

This is a great service which can also support your patients with ear-related problems that may not be associated with wax.

Ear pain is a common presenting complaint in community pharmacies and the TympaHealth system gives you the tool to help diagnose ear-related conditions, e.g. otitis externa.

We are working with PharmaDoctor to provide their Ear infection service package enabling pharmacists to prescribe medicated treatments where applicable. For more information on PharmaDoctor’s offering and to purchase your service package at a discounted rate for members visit:

What are members saying?

“We have traditionally been all about dispensing the medicine, and yet now we can dispense care, we can dispense health, we can dispense a better quality of life and that’s an honour to do that. The bottom line is this service is invaluable.”

– Bernadette Brown – Cadham Pharmacy