Community Pharmacy England (CPE) today (November 25) published a report on the sector’s role in helping to deliver the new neighbourhood health service – a key part of the government’s 10-year health plan.
It set out a list of priorities to enable pharmacies to “transform” into a “cornerstone” of neighbourhood health, arguing that “it is clear” there is “public appetite for accessing a wider range of services in community pharmacies”.
But it stressed that the shift “from hospital to community” – integral to the neighbourhood health service – “will not be delivered” without involving community pharmacy “effectively” in the planning process.
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And it said that an “effective communications campaign” is needed to “inform the public about the evolving role of pharmacies and what services they provide” to “maximise” the sector’s “potential contributions” – and to “reduce demand on GP services”.
This should “clarify” that the changes are “intended to improve access to qualified professionals with relevant expertise, functioning alongside GP services, rather than replacing or reducing existing levels of care”, it added.
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The report also stressed that while information is already being exchanged between pharmacies and GP practices, “the use of shared records is far from universal or consistent at present”.
“Effective use of shared records will be fundamental to ensuring that general practice and community pharmacy teams are able to work in a complementary way to support patients within neighbourhood teams,” it said, noting that this will avoid “duplication or gaps”.
“Barriers and obstacles”
The report highlighted five steps policymakers, commissioners and system leaders must take to realise pharmacy’s potential in the 10-year plan, including:
- Building “capability” within the Department of Health and Social Care (DH), NHS England (NHSE) and integrated care boards (ICBs) to “commission community pharmacy services effectively”
- Ensuring pharmacists are “embedded in strategic planning and leadership” at national and local levels
- Including community pharmacy in “IT and estate strategies” to ensure “full participation” in digital health initiatives and that premises are “fit for clinical service delivery”
- Fully incorporating community pharmacy into the NHS workforce strategy and “supporting career development”, “protected learning time” and “leadership pathways” for pharmacists and technicians
- Developing a “sustainable funding and operational model” that reflects the “expanded clinical role of pharmacies”, “supports innovation” and ensures “equitable access”
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Other recommendations in the report include that:
- The DH should “consider implementing a similar NHS funding model” for pharmacy premises to the one used for GP practices at a “national level”
- Pharmacy regulators must “collaborate closely” with other primary care regulators to ensure oversight “remains aligned and consistent across all sectors” with clinical services increasingly delivered “in partnership”
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CPE chief executive Janet Morrison said that there is “still so much potential” for pharmacies to “do more” but that “the sector is being held back by a number of barriers and obstacles” that must be “overcome”.
It comes as pharmacy contract negotiations have been delayed amid “wrangling” between the DH and the Treasury as well as “conflict” with commissioners.
And the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on pharmacy last week warned that there is a “looming bottleneck” in the rollout of independent prescribing (IP) amid “inadequate support” for pharmacists.
