Britain’s pharmacists could be treating more people

‘An infection treated late, due to long waiting lists for GP appointments, is likely to be harder to cure.’ Photograph: Alamy

I would urge Keir Starmer to allow pharmacists to give antibiotics to a wider range of people who need them, as a temporary measure until we have enough GPs (Why are English GPs taking industrial action and how will it affect patients?, 1 August). Pharmacists are highly trained. GPs are incredibly hard to come by due to many years of neglectful funding of their service. This will take some pressure off general practitioners, which is clearly needed, whatever the results of the industrial action.

If more training is needed for pharmacists in order for them to start dispensing antibiotics for straightforward cases of conditions such as pneumonia and cellulitis, I’m sure that can be provided, and I imagine pharmacists would welcome it. Antibiotic resistance is a huge concern as always. But an infection treated late, due to long waiting lists for GP appointments, is likely to be harder to cure and thus expose more of our most precious antibiotics to resistance. In this time of scarcity of general practitioners, our population should not be denied such basic medicines.
Dr Jack Pickard
Paediatrician, London

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