The 51st annual conference of the National Association of Co-operative Executive Pharmacists, which represents over 400 Co-op pharmacies from five different regional co-operative societies, took place at Bromsgrove from October 7 to 9. It focused on the National Health Service plan and its opportunities and threats for community pharmacy. Views were drawn from academia, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Parliament
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| Stephen Axon: one-stop centres could compromise quality of service |
Like the curate’s egg, the National Health Service plan was good in parts,
Mr STEPHEN AXON (general secretary, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee)
said.
Exploring ways of ensuring greater access to pharmaceutical services, he stressed
that additional hours provision had to be supported by funding. It was assumed
that the 500 one-stop primary care centres would deliver a better service to
the public. However, quality of service could be compromised in a scramble to
remain open all hours.
Mr Axon believed that competition to provide medicines and prescription drugs
through e-pharmacy would be fierce. Currently 80 per cent of patients used the
same pharmacy. It was suggested that this was the major strength of community
pharmacy. Bricks and mortar pharmacy would have to demonstrate significant added
value to retain this market share.
Turning to local services and contracts, Mr Axon stressed that local pharmaceutical
committees needed to become stronger and would grow as a major representative
and negotiating body. LPCs should liaise with the PSNC on such initiatives.
Medicines management
Professor STEPHEN CHAPMAN (professor of prescribing studies, department of medicines
management, Keele university) addressed the conference on the topic of medicines
management. Relating this to the strategy within “Pharmacy in the future”,
he suggested that patient expectations and political will would drive the agenda.
There was the danger that changes would be forced. Pharmacy had to respond positively
to the new plan; otherwise the changes would not be to pharmacists’ liking.
Using examples from his own department at Keele, and reviewing the work of pharmacists
as prescribing advisers, Professor Chapman demonstrated his belief that pharmacists
would adapt to gain new skills to demonstrate their professional worth. Partnerships
would have to be formed between professions and commercial organisations to
ensure the best use of resources. Pharmacists would have to become recognised
as the professionals most qualified to deliver concordance through patient education.
Patients needed to be empowered to become full and responsible partners in disease
management.
Quality service
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| Christine Glover: important for pharmacists to demonstrate a quality service |
Reflecting on the key role of the pharmacist in medicines management, Mrs CHRISTINE
GLOVER (President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society) warned that without training,
structured continuous professional development, and revalidation of skills there
was a danger that pharmacists could fail to demonstrate that they provided a
quality service. She stressed that existing work on the staff skill mix required
in pharmacy would have to be completed and then implemented to enable pharmacists
to take on new roles.
Turning to the threats perceived by community pharmacy, Mrs Glover reflected
that changes to control of entry regulations, and the requirement to be responsive
to local needs for access, could be painful for some. The one-stop centre was
a threat to many, unless pharmacists were prepared to work together in consortia.
Contracts with individual pharmacists could be seen as a threat to pharmacy
groups such as the co-operative societies. However, the organisation had a real
opportunity to offer more, as it had resources that could be distributed to
offer services across geographical areas. Pharmacists were likely to become
both dependent and independent prescribers in the future. However, the general
breakdown of professional boundaries could mean diagnosis, prescribing and supply
functions becoming merged. If the pharmacist was to prescribe, what was to stop
the nurse supplying direct in the future?
Concordance
Mr MARK TODD (Member of Parliament for Derbyshire South and secretary of the
All-Party Pharmacy Group) reinforced the view that pharmacists were in the best
position to deliver concordance. However, its representative bodies needed to
become more active. There was a danger of primary care groups and trusts becoming
a “GP gentleman’s club”. All primary care bodies had to be represented.
Reflecting on the Co-op in particular, Mr Todd said that strong community links
and a proven record in providing community services would stand it in good stead.
Local links had to be strengthened and MPs in particular targeted. He advised
all pharmacists to contact their MP. Lobbying of PCTs, health authorities and
Ministers was essential to reinforce the role of the pharmacist, and the opportunities
for pharmacy to make better use of its skills to improve the quality of patient
care.
Support
Drawing the conference to a close, Mr JOHN NUTTALL (president of NACEP and superintendent
pharmacist, Co-op Health Care) concluded that the future of pharmacy depended
upon support, listening and active participation.
He reminded the conference that bodies such as the Society were there to represent
pharmacists. Pharmacy would have to ensure it operated in an environment where
the NHS, the PSNC and the Society were forced to listen to pharmacists’
views and be sensitive to contractors’ needs. Participation by all pharmacy
contractors was essential to ensure that community pharmacy drove the agenda.
— Lindsey Fairbrother (business development manager, Co-op Health Care).