From Mr D. R. Forbes, FRPharmS
SIR,—The British Pharmaceutical Conference session on priority setting and clinical freedom was an excellent demonstration of what is good about the BPC. There was excellent chairing from Nick Ross and significant contributions from Sir Alan Langlands and from the Parkinson's Disease Society [see p531].
I was delighted to hear the enthusiastic endorsement from the Parkinson's Disease Society for the role of the pharmacist gleaned from their own research and reinforced by Sir Alan. (It was disappointing that the Royal Pharmaceutical Society had not been able to identify this for such patient advocacy groups before).
Whether we have to live within a budget that is financed from so low a proportion of the gross domestic product and whether rationing or priority setting is in place is a matter for separate debate.
The NHS must surely focus on managing the health of patients to lessen treatment of illness.
I was sorry that the immense role the pharmacist can play in reshaping the NHS was not more prominent. Pharmacists can increase their impact in managing the health of patients, especially in chronic illness. Keith Farrar in the hospital session on Tuesday reminded us that 4 per cent of all admissions to hospital result from iatrogenic disease (PJ September 25, p496). We should build on the positive work already being done and help reduce drug related admissions by being more involved in managing chronic disease. This is something pharmacists can do now — not one faction of pharmacy, but pharmacy as a whole.
Let us not talk of finding ourselves new roles in diagnosis yet. Let us "do the talk" and work to manage the health of patients in chronic illnesses, improving their quality of life. What a fine achievement to take pharmacy into the 21st century.
Drummond Forbes
Bristol