Independent contractors should join forces with health charities to increase public awareness of pharmacy, patient group National Voices has said.

Boots' partnership with cancer charity Macmillan had "mutually reinforced" the position of both organisations and independents should consider exploring a similar model, said National Voices chief executive Jeremy Taylor last week (January 23).

Mr Taylor suggested Age UK as a similar well-known charity that pharmacists could ally with, at a debate on community pharmacy's public health role organised by think tank the King's Fund.

Partnerships can "mutually reinforce" the positions of both independents and charities, National Voices chief executive Jeremy Taylor said	More on the pharmacy-charity collaborations Pharmacy BP checks help public know their numbers in awareness week Diabetes UK campaign urges pharmacists to put diabetes at 'heart of their services' Lloydspharmacy launches free asthma check-up service
	NPA chief executive Mike Holden agreed that partnering with charities was "an interesting model" for independent pharmacists to explore in the reformed health system. The sector had already "worked for many years" at a group, LPC and individual pharmacy level with charities such as Diabetes UK, Asthma UK, the British Heart Foundation and the British Lung Foundation, Mr Holden told C+D.

"Getting involved with the third sector and the voluntary sector is going to be a crucial part of the integrated approach to health and public health in the future," he said.

"It's not just about working with doctors and nurses, it's working with public health practitioners, the voluntary sector and the third sector, all the way through," Mr Holden added.

In 2012, Boots began training pharmacists to offer "practical and emotional" support to patients suffering from cancer, as part of its ongoing partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support. Boots beauticians also offer advice to patients going through chemotherapy.

At last year's C+D Summit, PharmaBBG chief executive Kit Tse said pharmacists could benefit from successful partnerships with charities, competitors and pharmaceutical companies.