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The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 265 No 7114 p400
September 16, 2000 The Conference

Keynote speeches

"A watershed for the profession," says the President

The announcement of the pharmacy strategy and the funding to support it were hailed as "a watershed" for the profession by the President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (Mrs Christine Glover) in her response to Lord Hunt's speech.
"The vision you have laid out, the practical steps and the money help us to understand what you have just shared with us and to illuminate a clear role for pharmacy within the Government's plans to modernise the National Health Service," she said.
The President welcomed the new funds and said that the profession looked forward to discussing the details of the way ahead.
"There is now a real opportunity for our profession to realise its full potential. The Society has been focusing on this very objective ever since it embarked on the Pharmacy in a New Age strategy.
"I hope you will agree that PIANA was remarkably accurate in forecasting today's issues for medicines and the health care environment."
The President welcomed the decision to recruit a permanent chief pharmaceutical officer at the Department of Health.
The Society's response to the Prime Minister's "five challenges for the NHS" had emphasised another underpinning objective - to modernise the use of medicines. The Society was gratified to see clear signals in the national plan for the NHS that the Government recognised this need and the contribution pharmacists could make.
While saying that the profession was excited about the developments for medicines management and repeat dispensing, the President introduced a note of caution: "Minister, for medicines management to be effective, pharmacists will need to have access to the appropriate information about patients, including the diagnosis. Without it you will be asking pharmacists to operate blindfold." [Applause]

Christine Glover
Christine Glover: there is now a real opportunity for our profession to realise its full potential

Prescribing by pharmacists

The President urged the swift implementation of the next stage of the Crown report on the administration and supply of medicines, to allow pharmacists to take up their role as prescribers. This was vital to the modernisation of the NHS. The Society's Council was considering how it could support this process and prepare the profession for its future responsibilities.
"For some of our members, the changes you envisage will bring considerable challenges, difficulties and, indeed, even pain. Let us not mince words - a large number of our members have invested their entire professional lives and their capital to make the community pharmacy network what it is today. They have done their best by the NHS by investing in it, quite literally, to create a comprehensive, quality supply network."
The announcements on electronic prescribing and e-commerce marked an important step into a transformed NHS, but the President said that patient choice should not be compromised. An early extension of the NHSnet to pharmacy would be welcomed.
She also welcomed the roll out of pharmacy as the fourth disposition of NHS Direct and the development of NHS Direct access points in pharmacies. Pharmacy had been the "missing link" of the service.
The President urged the Government to be a contributor to the Society's recently established pharmacy practice research trust.
Mrs Glover felt that the problems facing the profession were not insurmountable. She urged the other organisations representing pharmacy to engage constructively in the discussions ahead.
"The future of our profession is too important for our profession for us to indulge in division or distraction at this point - we must think ahead," the President said.