“We have been in detailed discussions with the Scottish Government over the past few years, promoting our Road Map proposals, which are based upon individual pharmacists providing pharmaceutical care clinic services directly to patients with long-term conditions from caseloads previously handled by GPs. We are therefore delighted that the Scottish Government having consulted widely has very strongly pursued this concept and that it has focussed upon the individual pharmacist.”
says Mark Koziol, PDA Chairman.
Crucial to the thrust of the Scottish Governments ‘A Prescription for Excellence’ strategy is that whilst it recognises that an effective network of pharmacies is extremely important, it does not focus on physical pharmacy premises, rather on the clinical capability of the individual pharmacist. It makes clear that securing the professional independence and autonomy of pharmacists will be a top priority.
“For many years the view has always been that pharmacy represents an underutilised resource within primary care and this has continued to be the position probably because of the almost exclusive focus upon a pharmacy premises centric model of pharmacy in the community. What is different about this development is that whilst it recognises the vital role played by the community pharmacy it also recognises the value and the importance of the unique professional and intellectual investment of the individual pharmacist and it will put it to a much better use than has previously been the case. This opens up some very exciting and highly beneficial opportunities for primary care generally and is excellent news for pharmacy, for pharmacists and for patients,”
says Mark Koziol, PDA Chairman.
“Inevitably, like all radical proposals that bring significant change, this policy document may cause uncertainty through fear of the unknown. However, we believe that the most important point to consider is that these proposals are all about new roles for pharmacists and the introduction of a structured career framework for pharmacists working in the community. This will lead to much greater professional independence and fulfilment, and ultimately to improved employment prospects for pharmacists as well as better patient care.”
A Prescription for Excellence
The PDA strongly supports the Scottish Government’s stated intention to find ways to prevent targets being set. ‘Prescription for Excellence’ says: “It is fundamentally important that pharmacists, regardless of employer or environment, are able to make professional decisions for their patients at all times.”
The document proposes ways in which this can be achieved:
- Patient registration with individual pharmacists
- Individual (named) pharmacists to be given case loads of patients for the management of long-term conditions
- NHS to have a direct relationship with individual pharmacists
- General practice pharmacists and group practices of pharmacists to be allowed to deliver pharmaceutical care to patients in all care settings (without the need for them to own pharmacies).
The PDA believes that ultimately these roles will be undertaken in a variety of settings, such as GP surgeries, clinics, community pharmacies and in the homes of patients, with residential homes being a first priority. Additionally if GPs from the around 1,000 practices in Scotland pass some of their long-term condition caseloads to pharmacists it will generate a much greater demand for pharmacists than through the existing community, hospital and primary care pharmacy model.
The PDA will now seek to use the developments in Scotland to continue to promote its PDA Road Map strategy going forward in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- PDA Road Map Scotland
- Scottish Government policy “Prescription for Excellence”
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/09/3025