The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has organised six pharmacy visits by prospective MPs in the final week prior to general election.

Head of public affairs Charles Willis said he had chosen to contact MPs who had “an affinity for healthcare”, including Labour shadow pharmacy minister Jamie Reed, all-party pharmacy group (APPG) vice-chair and Conservative candidate Oliver Colvile, and Liberal Democrat candidate for Lewisham East Julia Fletcher.

Mr Willis had been inspired to organise the visits to challenge misconceptions among politicians that “pharmacists are the people who stay in the dispensary”, he told C+D yesterday (April 30). He hoped the events would produce “a group of politicians who are committed to pharmacy”.

Mr Reed had “sung the praises” of the sector when they met at Seacliffe Pharmacy in Whitehaven on Tuesday (April 28), said Mr Willis, who is also chair of Southend West Labour party. Mr Reed saw pharmacists as “an integral part of a close-knit team delivering healthcare across the community” and “could see the value” in pharmacists having read-write access to patient records, Mr Willis said, although "he didn’t make a commitment to that".

'Really impressed'

Ms Fletcher also had a “really positive” visit to Lords Pharmacy in Lewisham on Wednesday (April 29), he said. Ms Fletcher had been “new to pharmacy” before her visit and was “really impressed” by what she saw, he added.

During his visit to a Lloydspharmacy in Donnington, South Yorkshire on Monday (April 27), APPG chair and Labour candidate for Rother Valley Sir Kevin Barron had spoken about giving pharmacists a greater public health role, Mr Willis said.

Mr Willis also arranged visits this week for Conservative candidate for Battersea Jane Ellison and Labour candidate for Bristol South Karin Smyth.

On Monday, Pharmacy Voice told C+D it was “delighted” by contractors’ attempts to engage with parliamentary candidates.

 

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