Financial support has been provided to the National Pharmacy Association as a corporate sponsorship from GSK Ltd.
Services linked to respiratory health
Clinical services
There are a number of clinical services that may be carried out in the pharmacy that support respiratory health. These services may be NHS or Private services.
Respiratory related services include:
New Medicines Service (NMS) – England
Find out more here.
Inhaler use/ check service
Flu vaccination service
Find out more here.
Pneumonia vaccination service (TBC)
COVID vaccine
Find out more here.
RSV vaccination service
Spacer supply service
Incorrect inhaler technique is common and can significantly reduce the amount of medicine reaching the lungs. For patients using pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs), a spacer can make inhaler use easier and improve medicine delivery, particularly where coordination between inhaler actuation and breathing is difficult. Additionally, patients can benefit from reminders of how to clean and maintain their spacer devices and
At present, patients who require a spacer may need to contact or be referred to their GP practice before obtaining one. This creates an additional step in the access of spacer devices and can place avoidable demand on GP appointments.
A community pharmacy spacer supply service would provide a practical alternative by allowing trained community pharmacy professionals to assess inhaler technique, identify patients who could benefit from a spacer, supply an appropriate device and provide education at the point of need.
Benefits of a spacer supply service
Service delivery
By embedding inhaler technique checks into routine pharmacy contact, the service strengthens the primary care respiratory pathway without adding GP burden.
The Somerset LPC spacer supply service provides a useful example of how this model can operate in practice. The service integrates inhaler technique assessment with access to an appropriate spacer through community pharmacy.
A simple community-pharmacy intervention can create an opportunity to identify inhaler-technique problems, provide practical support and connect patients with wider respiratory care.
