The government has failed to clarify pharmacy's role in the new NHS and has not given the sector confidence the reforms will lead to better commissioning, MPs have warned.

All party pharmacy group (APPG) chair Kevin Barron said that, despite being in power for 18 months, the Lib-Con coalition had still not given pharmacists confidence in the changes and how they could interact with the NHS.

"We still don't have confidence that the reforms will lead to better commissioning and we don't even know how the new NHS system will interact with pharmacy," Mr Barron told a meeting of the APPG on October 15.

But the APPG was "absolutely clear" about how pharmacy could increase its role, Mr Barron stressed. "The ability of pharmacy to provide more services, to further improve patient outcomes and to deliver enormous savings for the NHS is clear," he explained.

The APPG called on the government to formally recognise pharmacy's role in the new NHS and to develop guidance on pharmacy's offering for commissioners. The group also highlighted the need for best practice examples of pharmacists collaborating with primary care professionals.

 "Pharmacy represents an enormous opportunity for the government and they must recognise this," Mr Barron concluded.