Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has arranged a series of MP pharmacy visits this autumn in collaboration with local pharmaceutical committees (LPCs).
The negotiator said yesterday that it has so far arranged for seven front-bench MPs to visit local community pharmacies, and exclusively revealed to C+D that it has a further 18 visits “lined up over the next few weeks”.
On October 23, minister of state for environment, food and rural affairs Emma Hardy, shadow chief secretary to the treasury Richard Fuller and junior lord of the treasury Shaun Davies visited local pharmacies “to learn more about the sector’s valuable role in delivering the NHS flu vaccination programme”.
Read more: Community pharmacy creates £31.6bn of social value, says CPE
CPE said that Hardy, who visited Newington Pharmacy in Hull, was “particularly interested in the scale and causes of supply issues” and their impact.
It added that she also spoke to CPE director of member and LPC support James Wood and Karen Stone from Community Pharmacy Humber about funding and sustainability for the sector.
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The negotiator said Fuller visited Jardines Pharmacy in Biggleswade, where his discussion with CPE committee member Has Modi and Anne-Marie King from Community Pharmacy BLMK & Northants covered “the impressive numbers of flu vaccinations pharmacies are administering”, as well as medicines supply issues management.
It added that Fuller also wanted to know about the sector’s “ambition for the future” and the obstacles to achieving it.
Read more: Pharmacies prepare for launch of autumn vaccine rollout
And it told C+D that Davies visited Hollinswood Pharmacy in Telford, and spoke with Lindsey Fairbrother from Community Pharmacy Shropshire about the “fantastic work of pharmacy providing Pharmacy First and vaccinations”.
“They also discussed lack of immediate involvement of pharmacy in primary care plans and structures, as well as price concessions,” it said.
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CPE said that all three MPs were “briefed on local vaccination data and how community pharmacies’ accessibility can help increase uptake during the visits”.
Fairbrother also spoke to MP for Shrewsbury Julia Buckley last Friday when the MP visited The Tanery Pharmacy in Shrewsbury, it added.
“Working closely with LPCs”
CPE director of communications Zoe Long told C+D that MP pharmacy visits are an “important part of community pharmacy’s ongoing parliamentary influencing work”, as they allow MPs to directly see the positive impact pharmacies have and the challenges they face.
“This autumn we have been working closely with LPCs on a programme of visits, with more than 20 visits expected to take place before the end of the year with a mix of ministers, opposition and backbench MPs,” she said.
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Long said that while the focus of the visits is on the autumn vaccination programme, the latest funding settlement, medicines supply and “other issues facing pharmacies” are being discussed.
The visits will also involve “showcasing services such as Pharmacy First, which we need to continue to make the case for sustainable investment in”, she added.
“This programme forms part of our ongoing influencing work to make the case for community pharmacy across all political parties.”
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It comes after CPE analysis published last week revealed that community pharmacies in England generate £31.6bn of social value.
And it follows an All-Party Parliamentary Health Group roundtable last week in which sector bodies met with the pharmacy minister to discuss a report highlighting barriers to accessing primary care in England.
