The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has created a manifesto detailing how the next Scottish government can better support pharmacy, which it says is “possibly the most frequent touchpoint most people have with the NHS”.
The main points of the manifesto were:
- Recognising pharmacists’ clinical knowledge and expertise
- Supporting digital infrastructure
- Investing in the pharmacy workforce
- Good governance, regulation and fair work
Expanding independent prescribing to all graduates was also highlighted as a “significant opportunity” but the group advised that “the workforce needs to be better supported”.
Keeping pharmacies “free at the point of use” could also create a “NHS and care system that is fit for all,” it said. And it called on the government to support a “zero tolerance approach to violence and abuse in pharmacy” and “equality, diversity, and inclusion for all staff and patients”.
Digital
The PDA also advised “joining the Spine IT infrastructure” used by NHS England, which links together 44,000 healthcare IT systems.
It also advocated for the “development of a single patient record”, which would allow pharmacists to see a patient’s medical history with their consent.
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In January the DH said the creation of the single patient record is “expected to take several years” and the original deadline of 2028 was described by the DH as “overly optimistic”.
Governance, work, regulation
“Rapidly emerging AI and online healthcare provision” also needs a closer regulatory eye, warned the PDA, and it re-emphasised its long standing call for future community pharmacy negotiations to be between the “government, business owners and trade unions”.
In April 2024 figures showed that between October 2022 and September 2023 “1.6m people, or 30% of the Scottish population” used Pharmacy First Scotland services.
