Scottish review urges pharmacy to shed 'supply function' image
Practice A government-commissioned review of NHS pharmaceutical care of patients in the community in Scotland warns that pharmacy must shed its image of providing "a supply function in a commercial environment" to realise its full potential
Pharmacy must shed its image of providing "a supply function in a commercial environment" to realise its full potential in patient care, a government-commissioned review in Scotland has warned.
The sector should take on more independent prescribing, care home work and medicines management, said the Review of NHS pharmaceutical care of patients in the community in Scotland, published yesterday (August 14).
But pharmacy would need to change its image to forge stronger relationships with other health professionals and the public, stressed the study's authors former NHS director and primary care expert Hamish Wilson and University of London's School of Pharmacy professor Nick Barber.
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The government-commissioned review warns that pharmacy must shed its image of providing "a supply function in a commercial environment" to realise its full potential |
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Patients trusted pharmacists less than GPs, the report said, which had been fuelled by perceptions of little continuity in staff. It called for patients to register with a regular pharmacy to boost relationships. This should be supported by a shake-up of the contract to move towards pay per capita, rather than dispensing volume, it said. |
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The authors called for a stronger focus on the individual pharmacist to build a "continuing relationship" with patients and their carers. They suggested naming individual pharmacists on the pharmaceutical list to encourage ongoing contact. IT solutions could support the relationships between pharmacists and other professionals, they said, by enabling them to share patient information. "A fundamental part of delivering the future will be for the NHS to establish a new relationship that emphasises the role and status of the individual pharmacist, the partnership with patients and other professionals, and the consequent implications for the pharmacy bodies, which provide the environment and support for the delivery of the clinical services required," they argued. The report will now go to the Scottish government for consideration. A two-year funding deal was secured for Scottish pharmacies at the end of last month, before the publication of the review. |
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The recommendationsCare homes The report called on the government to review pharmaceutical care in care homes "as a matter of some urgency" to address the high rate of medication errors. It recommended "consistent clinical input" from a pharmacist, who would work together with other health professionals involved. Pharmacist prescribing The role of prescribing pharmacists received praise in the report, but authors noted many did not have the chance to use their qualification. More collaborative working with GPs could boost the use of pharmacist prescribing by defining clear roles, it suggested, and be beneficial for both professions. Control of entry The authors recommended a shake-up of the current control of entry system. Local health boards should now take a more active approach to reviewing local pharmaceutical care needs and implementing a services plan to meet those needs, they said. |
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Scottish Pharmacy Board welcomed it as a "strong foundation" for developing pharmaceutical care over the next 10 years. "If implemented in full, the recommendations have the potential to transform pharmaceutical care services provision for patients throughout Scotland," said board chair John Cromarty.
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What could pharmacy in England and Wales learn from the Scottish review? Comment below or email us at [email protected] You can also find C+D on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook |
