The light at the end of the tunnel for pharmacy may be amber at present, but the Government, with its hands on the signal levers, has the power to turn the light to green. The forthcoming national plan for the National Health Service could offer pharmacy its long-awaited turn on the fast line.
One snippet of the plan which was revealed last week was the idea of rating NHS organisations as red, amber or green (p41). There are undoubtedly parts of both community and hospital pharmacy which would receive a green light and we highlighted some of these at the Pharmaceutical Care Awards last week. However, for pharmacy as a whole the signals are not entirely set to clear.
Within hospital pharmacy, developments that might give green status are being hindered by severe staffing shortages. These are forcing some units to retrench in order to maintain the core dispensing and clinical services. This is allowing technicians to expand their role and fill some of the gaps. Amber status may turn to red if staffing levels fall further. In part, this is out of the hands of hospital pharmacists. Only an increase in pay scales, which have fallen behind community levels again, will boost staffing significantly. Only the Government can authorise such an increase.
Community pharmacy could only be given an amber light at present. While it provides an efficient and effective dispensing service, much appreciated by its customers, it has yet to convince the Government of its full worth. The national plan offers a chance to extend the provision of emergency hormonal contraception under patient group directions on a national basis. Hopefully, funding for the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee's medicines management trial will also be forthcoming. Community pharmacy needs a chance to prove what it can do in a properly controlled manner. Any demonstrated benefits must be irrefutable.
Pharmacy must be ready to seize the opportunities presented by the new plan for the NHS. If not, its amber light might change (to use railway signalling parlance) to flashing amber (reduce speed, you are being diverted on to the slow line) or even red.