As the year draws to a close, pharmacy leaders give their verdicts on the successes and disappointments of the past year. Neal Patel, head of corporate communications, RPS

Successes

● More than 1,000 pharmacists accessed the RPS faculty resources since its launch in June.

● The endorsement by NHS England of the RPS's principles of medicines optimisation and the ongoing adoption of the idea.

Failures

● Still no summary care record system available to community pharmacists.

● Not enough input from pharmacists to help tackle medication issues in care homes.

Some of this year's big stories C+D calls for urgent action to fix problems in supply chain Allow patients to contact pharmacists through NHS 111, NHS England recommends Minister challenges pharmacists to prove harm from stock shortages

John D'Arcy, managing director, Numark

Successes

● A new medicine review service was launched in Northern Ireland and a two-year funding agreement was reached in Scotland.

● The GPhC regulatory regime gathered momentum throughout the year, with growing clarity on its approach to pharmacy regulation and fitness to practise.

Failures

● Still no contractual financial settlement in England and Wales.

● Pharmacists struggling to cope with increased prescription volumes and administration associated with locally commissioned services.  

Claire Ward, chief executive, IPF

Successes

● Some excellent collaboration to deliver the London flu service.

● We continue to see innovation in service delivery, but...

Failures

● …it remains the exception rather than the rule.

● Pharmacy still doesn't get the recognition it deserves from commissioners.

Rob Darracott, chief executive, Pharmacy Voice

Successes

● The launch of our Treat Yourself Better Without Antibiotics campaign, pointing people towards community pharmacies.

● Our second national audit revealed that day in, day out, community pharmacists raise questions of medicines safety to GPs.

Failures

● Further delays in the contract settlement in England.

● The modest extension to the New Medicines Service.

Check out C+D's interactive review of the year here.

What were your highs and lows of this year? Comment below or email us at [email protected] You can also find C+D on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook