East London pharmacies pilot cholesterol-lowering injections to cut waiting times

pharmafile | October 29, 2026 | News story | |  Cardiology, Chronic Diseases, Hospital Management, NICE, cardiology, cholesterol, community healthcare, pharmacies 

A pilot scheme in east London is offering cholesterol-lowering injections at community pharmacies to help patients access treatment sooner and ease pressure on hospital lipid clinics.

Led by Barts Health NHS Trust and UCLPartners, with funding from the British Heart Foundation (BHF), the initiative will refer at least 180 patients for pharmacy-based treatment with inclisiran over 14 months. The twice-yearly injections have traditionally been delivered through hospital lipid clinics, where demand has contributed to lengthy waits. The lipid clinic at St Bartholomew’s Hospital serves a population of 2.5 million people in east London.

Ashleen Back, 70, from Chadwell Heath, was among the first patients to receive her injection at Rohpharm Pharmacy in Ilford, having previously travelled to Barts Hospital for treatment.

“It only took 10 minutes to get to the pharmacy and the whole thing was done in 20 minutes,” she said. “My mum needs a lot of care after she had a stroke, and I help look after my two grandchildren, who are 9 and 10, so time is really important to me. I’m very happy that this new scheme has given me my day back.”

Professor Riyaz Patel, Consultant Cardiologist at Barts Heart Centre and lead on the pilot, said participating patients had cardiovascular disease and needed additional cholesterol-lowering treatment beyond tablets to reduce their future risk.

“By bringing care closer to home for patients like Ashleen through local community pharmacies, we can reach people faster, reduce waiting times, free up hospital appointments, and address inequalities in access to cardiovascular care,” he said.

Inclisiran is given by injection under the skin and has been shown in clinical trials to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by around 50%. Lowering LDL cholesterol reduces the risk of cardiovascular events, and the treatment is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for eligible patients.

Back said her cholesterol levels had fallen substantially following her first inclisiran injection at St Bartholomew’s Hospital last year and had remained low since.

The first participating pharmacies are Anjis Dispensing Chemist in Waltham Forest and Rohpharm Pharmacy branches in Ilford and Plaistow. Further pharmacies are expected to join the pilot. If successful, the approach could be adopted by other NHS trusts.

Pic: NCI