Caernarfon,Wales – Women in Wales can now access prescription medication for urinary tract infections (UTIs) directly from participating pharmacies without needing to first see a general practitioner,a new initiative designed to provide “timely” treatment and prevent infections from worsening,according to Lowri Puw,a 31-year-old pharmacist and member of the Welsh Pharmacy Board.
Puw recommends patients call ahead to schedule an appointment at their local pharmacy to avoid unneeded visits.
The service is currently limited to women, as UTIs are uncommon in men. “If a man does get a bacterial infection, a GP would need to do blood tests to make sure there is no risk of prostate cancer,” Puw explained.
Puw also emphasized the importance of careful prescription practices, particularly for older women who experience frequent UTIs. “As women get older – and if they have more chronic recurrent urinary infections – the infection is more likely to become resistant to the antibiotics that we would normally prescribe,” she said. “so in those cases, the sample would need to be sent off to the microbiology lab before treatment is started – just to make sure that we’re treating the right bugs.”
“The last thing you’d want is for you to be getting the incorrect treatment, and it gets worse as opposed to being getting better,” Puw cautioned.
While praising the expansion of pharmacy services, Puw stressed the need for adequate funding to train pharmacy staff, noting that community pharmacies are already “overstretched.” Community Pharmacy wales is currently in discussions with the Welsh government regarding this funding.
