Community Pharmacy and COVID-19—The Unsung Heroes on Our High Streets

摘要

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a transmittable infection caused by a new coronavirus. In the majority of people, the disease causes mild to moderate respiratory symptoms, but COVID-19 can also cause severe symptoms and even death, especially in older people and those with underlying health conditions ( ). The virus has been transmitting in the community and within families, including in the United Kingdom, and was categorized as a pandemic on March 11, 2020 ( ). Understandably, countries around the world have escalated their responses to this global health emergency. In the United Kingdom, the government’s aim has been to reduce the rate of virus transmission so that it takes place over months rather than weeks ( ). This is to prevent the health services from becoming overwhelmed with multiple cases needing treatment all at the same time ( ). The government’s meaning of “health services” in this context, certainly at the start of the crisis, is the care given in hospitals by nurses and intensive care specialists. And in the community, mitigating the impact of COVID-19 has to date focused largely on general practitioners (GPs). This is unsurprising to those in the pharmacy profession who have long considered policy makers to overlook them ( ). Yet, community pharmacists, a vital part of the health workforce and trusted by many people ( ), are also facing huge additional pressures because of COVID-19 and struggle to highlight their plight.