New study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy-Antimicrobial Resistance shows benefit of cystitis service in community pharmacies

During the study, a lower UTI was found to be likely in 75% of women who used the service, most of whom accessed treatment on the same day. 

Data analysed in the study shows a community pharmacy led Cystitis Test and Treat service provides accessible and timely care for women, with the ability to help reduce pressure on GPs. Three quarters of the women studied stated that they would have visited their GP if the service hadn’t been available.

Cystitis and Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) affect up to half of all women in their lifetime¹. The conditions account for millions of GP appointments each year², and are among the most common conditions to be prescribed antibiotics in English primary care.³

Marc Donovan, Chief Pharmacist at Boots, comments: “The accessibility and convenience of community pharmacy makes it the ideal place for point of care testing, and this study supports it as an option for patients with UTIs. The service forms part of the important work that pharmacy is doing to tackle the wider issues affecting NHS overspending, helping to reduce pressure on GPs and continuing work towards optimising medicines use.”

Pharmacists receive specific training and under an in-store patient group directive (PGD) are able to give advice and treatment based on the severity of symptoms and results of the home testing kit.

Marc, continues: “Centred on patients having meaningful conversations with trained pharmacists and scientific data, we’re confident that this service also supports the threat of antimicrobial resistance by making sure that antibiotics are only used when patients need them.”

The study was led by academics from Boots UK, University of Nottingham, University of Leeds and the Department of Microbiology & Virology at UCL Hospitals.

About Boots UK

Boots UK (boots.com), the UK’s largest pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer, is part of the Retail Pharmacy International Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise.

With 2,465* stores in the UK, its purpose is to champion everyone’s right to feel good. Boots UK is committed to providing exceptional customer and patient care, be the first choice for pharmacy and healthcare and offer innovative 'only at Boots' exclusive products such as No7, a leading UK skincare brand, Soap and Glory and Liz Earle. Created 170 years ago, the Boots brand is still at the heart of the communities it serves.

*As of August 31, 2019 excluding equity method investments