Two MPs have arranged pharmacy visits in response to a parliamentary initiative to promote the sector’s alcohol awareness role, C+D has learned.
 

The all-party pharmacy group (APPG) wrote to all backbench MPs last week to highlight pharmacists’ role helping patients to deal with drinking problems. These letters encouraged MPs to visit their local pharmacy to find out about any alcohol services available or the barriers that had prevented these services being commissioned, the APPG told C+D yesterday (February 2).
 

Along with each letter, the APPG had enclosed an alcohol awareness scratch card with advice on how to contact a local pharmacy for support, it said.
 

The initiative followed a meeting in parliament in December in which the APPG spoke to community pharmacy teams, public health commissioners and NHS representatives about why alcohol management services were only available in some areas. The group was briefed about a project by charity Drinkaware where community pharmacies in Berkshire handed out information packs to help patients monitor their drinking, the APPG said.
 

APPG chair Sir Kevin Barron MP said his “big frustration” was that the “positive effect” of alcohol services in pharmacies were not felt across the country. “In too many places, local commissioners are not commissioning this service and the public are deprived of support that would really improve their health,” he said.
 

This was a “huge missed opportunity”, said Sir Kevin, who urged his colleagues to ask “searching questions” of local commissioners in areas where these services were not being delivered.
 

The initiative follows a similar attempt by the APPG last year to raise MPs’ awareness of pharmacy’s role delivering flu vaccinations.

Does your pharmacy offer an alcohol awareness service?

 

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