Pharmacy organisations have released a toolkit to help their members convince MPs of the sector's worth ahead of the general election.
 

The toolkit, published by PSNC, Pharmacy Voice and the Independent Pharmacy Federation (IPF) on Thursday (January 8), contains a draft letter for contractors invite MPs to visit their pharmacy and urge them to promote the sector’s role in improving the nation's health. A separate letter is also available for patients to explain to their MP why their pharmacy is important to them.


Both letters ask MPs to sign up to the community pharmacy manifesto, which the organisations launched last month. The manifesto contains five pledges, including making it easier to commission pharmacy services and supporting pharmacists' access to patient records.

The toolkit includes a 10-point “guide to campaigning” for pharmacists, with tips such as inviting local MPs and opposition candidates for pharmacy visits, promoting these visits to local media and chasing up MPs if they do not respond to invitations within two weeks.
 

'Promising' start to campaign

IPF chief executive Claire Ward said the response to the manifesto had been “promising”, with MPs visiting pharmacies across the country to express their support.
 

Ms Ward, a former Labour MP, said the toolkit was part of a “rallying call" to engage with politicians and pharmacists should not miss the “huge opportunity” to talk to their MPs ahead of the election in May.
 

“MPs are in a particularly receptive mood over the next four months. Because they want to be more aware of the issues affecting their constituencies, they’re very keen to go on campaign visits [and] sign up to manifestos, commitments and pledges,” she told C+D.
 

Pharmacists should also talk to patients about the manifesto and ask them to help convince their MP of the sector’s importance, she added.

In November, primary care expert Dr Charles Alessi said pharmacists needed to start "organising themselves" around the "most powerful" health figures in their local area ahead of the election, if they wanted to see change in the health system.