The Department of Health wants to improve career opportunities for pharmacists in the National Health Service and to recognise their clinical expertise, according to a report on workforce planning.
The report, issued as a consultation document in April, records that there is growing demand for pharmacists to support developments in prescribing and medicines management.
It says that work is in hand to tackle recruitment and retention difficulties, including the impact of the move to a four-year pharmacy degree course.
Without explaining what this work is, the document states: "The intention is to build on this work to recognise the clinical expertise of pharmacists, to enhance career opportunities and to ensure that there are sufficient pharmacists with the necessary skills to meet the needs of primary and secondary care."
In a section on primary care, the paper calls for better integration of planning for community pharmacy.
The report was commissioned by the Government in September, 1999, with the aim of producing a consultation document early in 2000 and the production of a clear action plan and work programme by the summer.
A health service of all the talents: developing the NHS workforce is available on the internet at www.doh.gov.uk/wfprconsult/index.htm.