COMMUNITY pharmacies in East Renfrewshire are being encouraged to sign up to new professional standards for palliative and end-of-life care.

It comes after The Royal Pharmaceutical Society Scotland (RPSS) and Marie Curie developed the standards which provide a framework to assist medicine stores with ongoing improvements to end-of-life and bereavement support for patients who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and their families.

The "daffodil standards" include early identification of patients and their carers, review of each patient's needs and pharmacies as hubs within compassion communities.

Additionally, high-quality care during a person's last few days of life and bereavement care after death are also included in the list of standards.

In an attempt to encourage more pharmacies to sign up, Jackson Carlaw MSP met with representatives of the RPSS and Marie Curie at the Scottish Parliament.

He said:  “It was hugely informative to learn more about the professional standards for palliative and end-of-life care at Holyrood and the support that can be provided to community pharmacies in my constituency.

“The daffodil standards aim to ensure that members of staff are fully equipped to help patients at all stages of a terminal illness and confidently support people who are impacted by an end-of-life diagnosis.

“The Royal Pharmaceutical Society Scotland and Marie Curie have put together a very important support package on end-of-life care and it is well worth community pharmacies in Eastwood signing up to the standards.”