The Royal Pharmaceutical Society in Wales has joined forces with Carers Trust Wales, Carers Wales, and Community Pharmacy Wales to help unpaid carers to overcome the practical challenges of accessing medicines during the current pandemic.
Unpaid carers – those who provide support to a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health condition or an addiction cannot cope without their support - have reported concerns about accessing medicines during the coronavirus pandemic. Concerns include; accessing medicines delivery services from pharmacies, anxieties about leaving the person they care for alone for prolonged periods while attending a pharmacy. Carers Trust Wales also highlighted cases where young carers have not been able to easily access pharmacies within supermarkets due to social distancing controls.
The campaign, spearheaded by Carers Trust Wales, is designed to help unpaid carers overcome these issues. Going live on Wednesday 29 April, the campaign will include resources for unpaid carers about getting the best from their pharmacy and a letter to pharmacists and their teams suggesting ways in which carers can be further supported. The campaign is further supported by a formal letter of identification which has been agreed in partnership between Carers Trust Wales, Carers Wales and the Welsh Government. The identification will be issued by local authorities and it is hoped it will help unpaid carers access appropriate support during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Director for Wales, Elen Jones, said:
“We recognise the crucial role of unpaid carers in supporting the people they care for with their medication. We are pleased to be a partner in this important campaign and hope it will help continuity of care during these unprecedented times."