<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">On Tue, 28 Apr 2020 at 18:16, Joseph Eisenberg <<a href="mailto:joseph.eisenberg@gmail.com">joseph.eisenberg@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">Approving this proposal will re-affirm the previous approval of amenity=pharma. This will make it clear that healthcare=pharmacy is not needed and should be deprecated.</div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>All very logical and well-reasoned.  But...</div><div><br></div><div>In the UK people are now advised to see pharmacists rather than GPs for</div><div>certain minor ailments.  This has come about in recent years to take the</div><div>load off GPs (we don't have enough of them).<br></div><div><br></div><div>From <a href="https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/advice-and-information/2019-01-15/should-i-see-pharmacist-instead-doctor">https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/advice-and-information/2019-01-15/should-i-see-pharmacist-instead-doctor</a></div><div>"Your local pharmacist might also offer other NHS services such as 
smoking cessation, blood pressure tests, weight management and flu 
vaccination. To find out what your community pharmacist offers, just ask
 them."</div><div><br></div><div>A list of services available at some pharmacies in Wales:</div><div><a href="https://www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/localservices/pharmacyinformation/">https://www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/localservices/pharmacyinformation/</a></div><div>and in England:</div><div><a href="https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/pharmacies/what-to-expect-from-your-pharmacy-team/">https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/pharmacies/what-to-expect-from-your-pharmacy-team/</a></div><div>These pharmacies are more than simple shops and do more than just dispense</div><div>drugs a doctor (or nurse practitioner) has prescribed.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Pharmacists may prescribe independently (with provisos):</div><div><a href="https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/education/pharmacist-independent-prescriber">https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/education/pharmacist-independent-prescriber</a></div><div>So suitably-qualified pharmacists bear a similar relationship to ordinary</div><div>pharmacists that nurse practitioners bear to nurses: they are qualified (within</div><div>the range of their training) to diagnose and prescribe.  That's healthcare.<br></div><div><br></div><div>It seems that some pharmacies may merit being tagged under healthcare.</div><div>Of course, this will lead to mappers tagging pharmacies incorrectly, but I don't think</div><div> we can say that no pharmacy must ever be tagged under healthcare, just that they</div><div>should also be tagged under healthcare if specific conditions are met.</div><div><br></div><div>-- <br></div><div>Paul</div><div><br></div></div></div>