Although pharmacists in the future would work in a wider range of roles and locations than now, dispensing would remain a critical service, and its importance to pharmacy should not be ignored, Mr MARSHALL DAVIES (Vice-President, Royal Pharmaceutical Society) told the meeting.
Considering pharmacy's continuing role in primary care and public health, Mr Davies said that, despite the development of prescribing advice, local community pharmacy networks and other pharmacy partnerships, there would still be a strong role for independently-sited community pharmacies. Moreover, an over-aggressive approach to integration with GP practices could increase National Health Service costs and deprive people most in need of more help.
Mr Davies said that ensuring that pharmacists had appropriate skills and education was essential for pharmaceutical care delivery. There was a need to combine social and biomedical knowledge, and for community pharmacists to be good listeners and communicators as well as pharmaceutical scientists. Life-long learning, flexible accreditation of new competencies, quality management and role extension for community pharmacy staff were all things that needed to be achieved.
Funding was a crucial issue for pharmacy. Pharmaceutical services had been traditionally funded through a mixture of private and public partnership and this system needed to be built on, not torn apart. This would help ensure that the public got an optimum service. Pharmacy also had a role in helping to reduce health inequalities. With support from PCTs and government, community pharmacy could play a central role in linking biomedical care and health promotion in progressively more effective ways.
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Marshall Davies: a strong role will remain for independently-sited community pharmacies
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