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Pharmacies in East London are delivering injections of the cholesterol-lowering drug inclisiran as part of a pilot to reduce the pressure on hospitals in the area.

The 14-month scheme will initially see three pharmacies – Anjis Dispensing Chemist in Waltham Forest and branches of Rohpharm Pharmacy in Ilford and Plaistow – administer medication closer to patients’ homes.

Around 180 people with high cholesterol will be referred to the pharmacies and Barts Health NHS Trust and UCLPartners, the organisers and funders of the initiative, hope it will reduce months-long waiting times for appointments at hospital lipid clinics.

The injections are administered twice a year and have only been available in hospital lipid clinics which are stretched to capacity.

Inclisiran was approved for use on the NHS in 2021 after clinical trials showed it can cut levels of LDL cholesterol by around 50 per cent.

Ashleen Back, 70, from Chadwell Heath, who was one of the first patients to receive an injection at Rohpharm Pharmacy, said going there for treatment made life easier for her because she had to travel to Bart’s Hospital which took “a whole day with travel and waiting for hours at the hospital”.

“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 nine and 10, so time is really important to me. I’m very happy that this new scheme has given me my day back.”

Organisers intend to run the scheme in other parts of the country if it is successful in East London.

Professor Riyaz Patel, a consultant cardiologist at Barts Heart Centre who is leading the pilot, said: “The people who will be joining the study have heart disease and are all in great need of more cholesterol-lowering therapy, beyond tablets, to reduce their risk of future problems, but also often find it difficult to attend hospital appointments to receive these advanced treatments.

“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.”