Requests for Delivery during COVID-19

During this incredibly busy COVOD-19 emergency, we are no longer able to take on any further delivery patients as our resources have been exceeded.

Please contact the NATIONAL or LOCAL volunteer services for assistance as per Government recommendations, details below.

ACCESSING COVID-19 VOLUNTEER SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY FOR FUTURE DELIVERIES OF YOUR MEDICINES

Despite various Government presentations, expected funding for a home delivery service by community pharmacies has not been forthcoming. As there has been such an overwhelming response to the volunteer programme, NHS ENGLAND has decided that there will NOT be such a funded service from your local pharmacy.

Due to hugely increased demands on deliveries, patients requiring home delivery of their medicines therefore have three options:

1. Ask a family member, neighbour or friend to collect them. THIS IS THE GOVERNMENT PREFERRED FIRST OPTION.
2. Use a volunteer service (detailed below).
3. AS A LAST RESORT: delivery by the community pharmacy is only available once all of these options have been exhausted. This delivery may therefore be some days later and may attract a charge.

ORDERING YOUR MEDICINES:

YOU must order your medicines from your GP (or the Prescription Order line (0114 372 3000) offered by some GP surgeries). You should do this at least one week earlier than you usually would. The pharmacy cannot order your medicines for you during this crisis.

PATIENTS WISHING TO CONTACT THE VOLUNTEER SCHEMES:

In either case:

• The service is only intended for those in our community who are at the highest risk of severe illness (shielding or self-isolating) or if they contract COVID-19 and therefore have been advised to isolate themselves

• People should only apply if they have no other support available, such as friends, family or other people who can help

Who are “shielding” patients:

These patients will have received a letter advising them to shield: from their GP or hospital physician. If you have not received such a letter, you are NOT shielding, you are self-isolating (see below).

People falling into this extremely vulnerable group include:

1. Solid organ transplant recipients.
2. People with specific cancers:
   • people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy
   • people with lung cancer who are undergoing radical radiotherapy
   • people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
   • people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
   • people having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
   • people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD.
4. People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell).
5. People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection.
6. Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired.

If you think you fall into one of the categories of extremely vulnerable people listed above and you have NOT received a letter or been contacted by your GP, you should discuss your concerns with your GP or hospital clinician.

Who are “self-isolating” patients?

People who are:

• aged 70 or older (regardless of medical conditions)
• under 70 with an underlying health condition listed below (i.e. anyone instructed to get a flu jab as an adult each year on medical grounds):
  • chronic (long-term) respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis
  • chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
  • chronic kidney disease
  • chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis
  • chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), a learning disability or cerebral palsy
  • diabetes
  • problems with your spleen – for example, sickle cell disease or if you have had your spleen removed
  • a weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or medicines such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy
  • being seriously overweight (a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above)
• those who are pregnant

Both volunteer systems will be prioritising SHIELDING patients FIRST, then SELF-ISOLATING patients.

You may need to be patient whilst trying to contact these volunteer services.

PATIENTS IN URGENT NEED SHOULD CONTACT NHS111.

We appreciate these are difficult times and ask that you please have patience and respect for our staff. All at Green Cross Chemists thank you for your choices regarding your future deliveries.

Information provided from various advisory documents and sources by Green Cross Chemists Limited. We cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of all the information.