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Newgate Lane Pharmacy embeds compassion, teamwork and clinical rigour into everything from methadone dispensing to medicines optimisation, as Saša Janković discovered… 

Newgate Lane Pharmacy has created a safe, non-judgemental space for some of its most vulnerable patients and was named Pharmacy Team of the Year at last year’s Independent Pharmacy Awards. 

The pharmacy, led by pharmacist Alice Clapham, is located on a busy urban road, serving a diverse community of families, elderly residents and commuters half a mile from Mansfield town centre.

The pharmacy has a team of six and a half full-time and part-time staff including a counter assistant, a mixture of dispensers and accuracy checking technicians who work collaboratively to deliver a broad range of accessible private and NHS services to their community.

One such service, created by Alice, is a blister pack hub on the upper floor of the pharmacy where the team prepare weekly and monthly compliance aids for around 400 patients from five local care homes, supplying residents with clearly organised and professionally managed medication trays. 

Supporting up to 85 methadone patients a day

Another example is the team’s methadone dispensing service, which supports up to 85 patients a day and provides a vital lifeline for patients recovering from opioid dependency.

The volume and complexity of the service requires a highly co-ordinated, trained team who manage patient expectations, liaise with prescribers and monitor for any signs of risk or relapse, and Alice is clear that this work is only possible because the service is genuinely team-led across the pharmacy, and with the local Change Grow Live (CGL) drug and alcohol service.

“Not every patient attends daily, but those who do are familiar faces, and relationships are built through consistency”, Alice explains.

“You get to know everybody because they’re coming in so regularly, and small interactions at the counter matter, so the team is alert to subtle changes in mood or behaviour, with a consultation room always available if someone seems a bit off and needs a private conversation rather than simply collecting their medication. It’s all about having a chat when they come in.

“For example, with patients who may have unstable housing or poor experiences with other parts of the health system, the pharmacy offers them a safe space where they know they are listened to and their concerns are heard.” 

Clear communication 

Crucially, the team also knows when and how to pull in wider support. Clear communication channels with Change Grow Live, with key worker details readily available so issues can be shared quickly when needed, allow the pharmacy to focus on being a consistent, non-judgemental point of contact while avoiding duplication.

“We have all of the key workers’ numbers on a record, and they update them with us regularly, so we know who our patients are connected with if we need any extra support or help,” Alice explains.

That partnership extends into practical services such as needle exchange, wound care referrals and naloxone supply, with the pharmacy acting as a visible access point.

Just as importantly, Alice sees the pharmacy as a bridge back into mainstream healthcare for people who may feel judged elsewhere.

“A lot of these people don’t always have a great relationship with doctors or GPs,” she says, “so the team spends time reassuring patients about what support is available and encouraging them to engage with the wider range of healthcare staff at their GP surgery that they may not be aware of.”

When it comes to funding the service, Alice explains: “Medicines are reimbursed the same way that we do for prescriptions through the NHS”, she says, “but patients who require supervision trigger extra funding from CGL directly, which is itself is funded through a combination of local authority support and charitable income.”

Daily challenges

Alice is candid that the biggest challenges stem from the complexity and unpredictability of patients’ lives, rather than the dispensing process itself.

“Numbers fluctuate constantly as people move away, come off script or are even recalled into prison, and that instability can show up in day-to-day interactions”, she says.

“However, we know that anyone can have bad days, so as the team gets to know people better, they also see those fluctuations in personalities and moods.

“Some service users have insecure housing or no fixed living arrangements, which can make engagement harder and requires the pharmacy to respond with flexibility and patience, but that is part and parcel of the service that we offer, and understanding these pressures is essential to helping people stay on track.”

As a result, Alice says feedback from service users has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly around the culture the team has created.

“It’s lovely to hear comments like it’s really nice and non-judgmental here,” she says, adding that “being on first-name terms and having little general chit chats helps people feel seen. I feel like we give them a safe space, and I think they do respect that.” 

Future plans

Alice says the pharmacy is “forever growing” and is planning several new initiatives this year, with service development as essential to its future.

“A broader skill mix within the team, including dispensers, accuracy checking technicians and independent prescribers, is freeing up my time and creating capacity for new work”, she says, “which allows me to focus on clinical services and patient-facing care.”

Alongside delivering Pharmacy First, the pharmacy is planning to introduce an online booking system so patients can book appointments via an app for services such as contraception and private consultations, particularly where access to GP appointments is difficult, making access simpler and more flexible.

Other initiatives are already on the horizon, including expanded private services such as weight management, travel vaccines and ear microsuction, with more members of the team being trained to deliver them, and further plans for health screening services, including diabetes and cholesterol checks, reflecting the diverse needs of the local population.

“As we are in an area that serves both affluent communities and people trying to get back on their feet, we see the pharmacy’s role as offering something for everyone”, says Alice, of the inclusive, patient-centred ethos that has already earned the team national recognition, and which looks set to shape the pharmacy’s next chapter.