Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome. I’m Ian Facer, Chairman of the National Pharmacy Association, which as I am sure everyone here will know is the trade body representing the majority of community pharmacy owners in the UK.
We are very proud to be the main sponsor of the Chemist and Druggist Awards again this year.
I’ve had a lot of conversations with Gary and his team over recent months about developments at the NPA. I always try to be frank with them as I know that our members look forward to receiving their copy of C&D every week to hear about what’s going on – and not just at the NPA.
Even more so right now. With the Pharmacy White Paper consigned to the shredder by the change of government, everyone in pharmacy is now on tenterhooks as we wait to find out what the Coalition’s new health policy will really mean for us.
The emphasis on public health, the commitment to giving patients and front line NHS staff a real say in how the health service is run, and the focus on helping elderly people live at home for longer – these policy statements should all play to community pharmacy’s considerable and proven strengths. But we all know the purse strings are tight; and although there is much speculation, in all the announcements to date we are conspicuous by our absence.
Yet we have so much to be proud of; and this event showcases the very best in clinical practice, excellence in retail supply, and business leadership. I want to emphasise is that it’s up to all of us, now, everyone in this room, to drive home the message.
To speak and act in a co-ordinated and powerful way that ensures politicians, the media and other healthcare professionals fully understand that community pharmacy is a ubiquitous and highly valuable health care resource that is already part of the solution. Not only to dispense medicines safely but also to help the UK manage the health of its citizens more effectively, and to deliver real benefits to patients and communities everywhere.
Tonight we will all be able to reward some of our colleagues who have set great examples for us all to follow right across the spectrum. I am really proud that the NPA is joining with C&D to recognise some of the inspiring things that people in community pharmacies have done across the UK.
I have been in community pharmacy throughout my working life. My wife is a pharmacist and so is my father. I have a profound commitment to the success of our profession.
So please join with me on this very special occasion to celebrate what community pharmacy has already achieved, and to look forward to what we can do together in future.
