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Too Many pharmacists? What’s being done?

The issue of "Too Many Pharmacists" was the focus of several PDA member conferences in 2012 and led to the development of a seven point plan.

Mon 22nd July 2013 The PDA

A Seven point plan

This issue was the focus of several PDA member conferences in 2012 and led to the development of a seven point plan. (see article ‘Are we producing too many pharmacists?‘)

  1. Develop a pharmacy workforce model
  2. Control the numbers entering schools of pharmacy
  3. Create new roles to increase the demand for pharmacists
  4. Ensure that new roles are not driven at the expense of the supply function
  5. Focus new roles on the unique skills of pharmacists
  6. Develop a supervision policy that makes the pharmacist more accessible to the public in the pharmacy and not less so
  7. Halt the commoditisation of pharmacy services and enable pharmacists to develop clinical relationships with patients.

The PDA has been involved in a significant amount of lobbying behind the scenes so as to progress this plan and recently there have been two highly beneficial developments.

1. Student numbers are now set to be restricted

Ministers in England have now agreed to restrict pharmacy student numbers in the future. Whilst the real concern for the profession is that there are now simply going to be too many pharmacists, the rationale behind the Ministers decision is perhaps somewhat unrelated. Having had the over-supply situation brought to their attention, their concern is that the number of pharmacy graduates must not exceed the number of NHS funded pre-registration places available. Such a position could result in a political embarrassment as it could be argued that limited financial resources were being squandered in the secondary education system by training pharmacy undergraduates who could then never become pharmacists due to their inability to complete their training. For the profession, the reasoning behind the decision is almost immaterial as the consequences (in terms of dealing with the impact upon pharmacists of an oversupply situation) will be beneficial in the medium term. Another benefit of this approach is that pharmacy training is being viewed much more so as an NHS issue – similar to the position enjoyed by doctors and nurses and this augers well for the profession.

Similar plans are also being explored for Wales and PDA officials are discussing this issue with Scottish Government representatives.

2. Developing a Workforce model and plan

With Government backing, the Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CfWI) has now instigated detailed work on modelling the pharmacy workforce needs for the future. In recent weeks PDA officers have briefed CfWI officials on this important piece of work. On 10th January PDA participated alongside representatives of other pharmacy organisations in the CfWI’s future scenario generation workshop. This is an important step in delivering the first point on the PDA’s seven point plan.

PDA members will be updated on any further developments as they occur.

3. Create new roles to increase the demand for pharmacists

PDA’s Road Map proposals

Scotland

The PDA’s Road Map strategy focusses upon creating new roles for pharmacists by enabling them to work as autonomous healthcare practitioners on individual contracts with the NHS. Through such a vehicle, they should be able to deliver pharmaceutical care, develop clinical relationships with patients and work in a much more integrated way with GP’s. Pharmacists working in this way could deliver these services from various locations such as community pharmacies, care homes etc. and make a big difference through high quality pharmaceutical care by reducing unnecessary hospital admissions and improving care for patients with Long Term Conditions. Added to this are the benefits of reducing medicines waste and ADR’s as well as improving capacity for GPs, enabling them to tackle more acute presentations because they have referred their Long Term Condition patients to such pharmacists.

In Autumn 2012 these PDA Road Map proposals where received with enthusiasm by the Scottish Government who is in the process of reviewing Pharmaceutical Care in the Community in Scotland. The final outcome of their work is expected in winter of 2013. (see Scottish Road Map)

England

More recently a number of opportunities have aligned themselves, providing an excellent pre-text to launch the PDA Road Map proposals in England which are intended to create new roles for pharmacists. These include the current A&E and hospital admissions crisis, the Francis Report and the recent call from government for ideas on how to improve services to patients with Long Term Conditions. Additionally, there is the creation of the Faculty of Pharmacy by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, which will be able to support the creation of a structured career and skills framework in community pharmacy. Many of these issues form the very foundations of the PDA’s strategic initiative creating new roles for pharmacists. As a result of these opportunities, the PDA is currently in the process of submitting its English Road Map proposals to both the Health Minister and the Minister for Care.

“We have waited some time for the ideal conditions under which to share our thinking with government in England. We believe that our radical proposals on how pharmacists can help will go some considerable way in helping to solve some of the serious problems currently faced by the NHS.”

Said Mark Koziol PDA Chairman (English Road Map)

Wales

The PDA has been invited to partner RPS Wales and the Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee in an important strategic development initiative seeking to develop the roles of pharmacists in Wales. The work of this group is aimed at developing and then outlining the professional aspirations for pharmacy and to submit these ideas to the Minister for Health in Wales. It will seek to propose how patient care can be provided closer to home. The PDA’s contributions will focus upon the delivery of pharmaceutical care by individual pharmacists as described above. Reports will follow in a future edition of Insight.

The Commission on Future Models of Care

Director of Policy at the Nuffield Trust Research Foundation, Dr Judith Smith, who is currently chairing the Commission on Future Models of Care through pharmacy, recently visited PDA HQ to discuss the thinking behind the PDA’s Road Map which intends to create new roles for pharmacists.

The final report of the Commission (autumn 2013) will suggest how policy makers, commissioners and the profession can put into practice such new models of care.

Commenting on the work of the commission, PDA Chairman Mark Koziol said;

“The current models of care do not reflect the difference in the aspirations of pharmacists with those organisations that own pharmacies and this is why we have ended up with models of care like MUR’s which have been poorly supported by coal face pharmacists. We were delighted that Dr Smith came to see us and explained that the litmus test of the success of this commission will be that it recognises these two sets of interests and provides both with an exciting way of achieving their hopes and ambitions”.

Related article published in Insight Winter 2012

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