The Pharmacists’ Defence Association warmly welcomes the announcement that the role of community pharmacists in Scotland is to be reviewed. The review will consider how to make better use of pharmacists’ expertise and enhance their involvement in primary healthcare.
The review aims to encourage closer working with GPs and other community based services and will examine the fitness for purpose and long term sustainability of the current arrangements for providing NHS pharmaceutical services. It will evaluate group pharmacy practice and specialisation and consider areas such as personalised patient care for the management of long term conditions and minor ailments. Evidence will be taken on making the best possible use of resources, particularly in relation to pharmacists’ contribution to the safe and optimal use of medicines.
Mark Koziol, PDA Chairman, comments:
“We are absolutely delighted that this review is taking place. We fully support its aims, which correspond to our Road Map vision for the future of community pharmacy. If you align the interests of patients, pharmacists and the NHS then you are on to a winner. But at the moment these interests are not aligned. Better use of pharmacists’ expertise can improve NHS care and the patient experience.”
The PDA currently has more than 1,500 members working in Scotland and has undertaken numerous focus group meetings and surveys of member opinion in Scotland. The Association is looking forward to making use of any consultation opportunities to make its submission to the review.
The review of NHS Pharmaceutical Care of Patients in the Community will be carried out by Dr Hamish Wilson, Vice Chairman of the Board of Healthcare Improvement Scotland, with support from Nick Barber, Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the University of London’s School of Pharmacy. It will also consider the infrastructure needed to deliver pharmaceutical care fit for the 21st Century, the education, training and continuing professional development of pharmacists, and integrated working between hospital and primary care pharmacists.
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Nicola Sturgeon, comments: “Pharmacists’ work goes far beyond that of the supply of medicines and includes direct patient care such as medication reviews for those at risk of falls and prescribing clinics for patients with chronic pain. However, we believe that there is further scope to develop and enhance their role for the future, as well as the arrangements that underpin the planning contracting and delivery of pharmacists’ services to ensure their longer term sustainability and achieve the high quality healthcare to which we are committed.”