EXCLUSIVE

Labour has invited C+D readers to submit their suggestions for expanding the sector's role if the party wins the general election.

The party would "work with community pharmacists to make sure their potential to play a greater role in primary care is realised", shadow health secretary Andy Burnham pledged yesterday (April 30). He called on "readers to submit suggestions on the way forward with the help of C+D”, if Labour was victorious in the polls next week. 

Labour said his comments were not meant to ignore pharmacists' submissions to last year's Call to Action consultation on the sector's future, and it instead wanted to "open a continuing dialogue through C+D". 

Labour failed to mention community pharmacy in its manifesto, and Mr Burnham declined to answer the question of why - but said he "definitely" saw an expanded role for pharmacy as part of a "single team of professionals" who could provide care to patients close to their homes.

Mr Burnham also declined to answer questions on whether Labour would commission more national pharmacy services - as the Lib Dems pledged last week to consider - and whether the coalition had used pharmacy to its full potential.

But he said that giving community pharmacists “more responsibilities” would ensure that people could manage their conditions better, which was “vital in the century of the ageing society”. “We will listen to the weight of evidence that shows [pharmacy] would help to relieve a significant amount of pressure from GP surgeries and A&E departments," he promised. 

Face-to-face 'premium'

“People in England visit a community pharmacy around fourteen times every year,” Mr Burnham said. “This is an enormous amount of time in the company of pharmacists at a time when face-to-face contact is at a premium.”

Labour “know we need to be utilising the expertise and accessibility of pharmacies”, where staff could "optimise people’s medication as well as dispensing it", he added.

Last year, the IPF said it would feedback the sector's views to Labour to help form the party's health policy. 

Last week, Liberal Democrat health minister Norman Lamb told C+D his party would seek the views of community pharmacists on how NHS funding should be invested.

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