This report, approved by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Council at its October meeting, gives the result so far of the consideration given by the Council to the resolutions passed at the Society’s branch representatives’ meeting in May (PJ, May 20, pp766-768, and May 27, pp799-804)
Promoting pharmaceutical care That the Society proceeds with all due
speed to promote the seamless pharmaceutical care which patients deserve.
The National Health Service modernisation plan offers opportunities to pharmacists
for initiatives to promote and ensure seamless pharmaceutical care. The Society
will continue to take every opportunity to promote the value of advice and care
provided by pharmacists in the context of the NHS modernisation plan.
Seamless care has been a theme running through a number of recent Society initiatives.
These include:
At present, probably the key area where the efforts of the Society and others
could facilitate better co-ordinated care is in promoting the sharing of relevant
patient information between health professionals. The Society will continue
actively to promote the role of pharmacists in the wider information sharing
agenda of the NHS. This includes many discussions with other professions and
organisations.
The development of appropriate IT standards is essential to wider information
sharing. The Society is continuing to contribute to work on international standards
for discharge and referral information, security frameworks for health care
information sharing, and the application of smartcards to health care.
It is hoped that work will be completed in each of these areas for publication
during 2000.
As reported to the branch representatives’ meeting, a project to research
further the opportunities presented to the profession though connection to NHSnet
was started in 1999. It is hoped that, by working closely with the NHS Executive,
system suppliers and the network suppliers, the project will result in an efficient
and easy to understand method for pharmacists to connect to NHSnet at the appropriate
time.
The Society has also been working with the British Medical Association, the
National Pharmaceutical Association and a number of other health care organisations
to promote teamworking more generally, through the Forum on Teamworking in primary
health care. The forum was convened as a result of a joint initiative between
the Society, the BMA, the Royal College of Nursing, the NPA and the Royal College
of General Practitioners. An expanded group of organisations was then bought
together, under the chairmanship of Dame Deirdre Hine, to address the practical
aspects of teamworking in this context. The forum’s report was scheduled
for publication in October.
Community pharmacists’ advice and care That the Society makes approaches
to the Department of Health to recognise both financially and formally the advice
and care given by community pharmacists.
The advice and care provided by community pharmacists has been recognised by
the Government in a number of positive ways. Examples include public endorsement
of community pharmacists’ contribution to: helping people make the right
choice of health care during the winter months; supporting NHS Direct; and delivering
services to help smokers quit.
Opportunities for pharmacy will also arise from the NHS modernisation plan,
and the Society will continue to take every opportunity to promote the value
of the advice and care provided by community pharmacists and their staff and
the benefit to patients of the link between supply and advice. Through awareness
initiatives, the Society also promotes to the general public the care and advice
provided by community pharmacists which are not associated with dispensing or
the sale of non-prescription medicines.
One of the channels for promoting pharmacy’s current and potential contribution
to health is Parliament’s All-Party Pharmacy Group, which the Society,
along with the National Pharmaceutical Association, the Pharmaceutical Services
Negotiating Committee and the Company Chemists Association, helped form in 1999.
Remuneration is inextricably linked to practice development. The Society therefore
has a legitimate role in working towards a framework for remuneration that will
support the pattern and types of services that the public and the profession
want to see in the future. However, the negotiation of the professional allowance,
which was raised by the branch representatives’ meeting, is not a matter
for the Society, but for the PSNC.
Provision of emergency contraception That pharmacists should be able
to provide emergency oral contraception, within an appropriate shared care protocol
which would include suitable family planning advice.
The Society issued a policy statement on contraception and sexual health in
July, 1999. The statement included a commitment to work for a legal and professional
framework that would permit the supply of emergency hormonal contraception (EHC)
through pharmacies.
There is a range of possible mechanisms whereby EHC might be made available
through pharmacies. Whereas there has always been the facility to supply EHC
at the request of a patient or doctor under the emergency supply arrangements,
pilots are now being run involving supply under patient group directions. The
Medicines Control Agency has also issued a consultation document on the potential
reclassification of one form of EHC from the prescription-only medicine (POM)
to the pharmacy (P) category. The Society has reaffirmed its policy that it
is in the public interest to improve access to EHC through community pharmacies,
including any reclassification such as that proposed by the MCA. Additionally,
the Society would wish to see measures put in place to ensure that those who
cannot afford to pay for EHC as a P medicine can obtain it through community
pharmacies free of charge.
The Council has engaged a group of pharmacists, family planning and sexual health
experts to prepare advice to the Council on best practice for pharmacists supplying
emergency contraception should it become available without prescription from
pharmacies. At the same time, standards for the supply of emergency contraception
by pharmacists are being prepared by the Society’s Professional Standards
Directorate. The guidance and standards are to be published following approval
at the October Council meeting (PJ, October 14, p545).
The Society has also had discussions with the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate
Education, which is helping to co-ordinate training for pharmacists throughout
Britain who supply emergency contraception through pharmacies. A distance learning
programme is expected to be available in the autumn, and courses will be run
early in 2001. Schering, the supplier of the progestogen-only emergency contraceptive,
is also holding meetings in various locations before the end of 2000.
The Society will continue to work towards the implementation of its policy on
emergency hormonal contraception, together with pharmacists’ wider contribution
to sexual health, during the coming year.
Design of patient packs That the Council must exert such pressure as
they are able on the relevant authorities to design patient packs to aid concordance
and safety.
The Council recognises current concerns about safety and the risk of errors,
arising from the similarities between some patient packs. Issues relating to
the packaging of medicinal products, as they arise, are brought to the attention
of industry representatives through regular meetings of the Society and the
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. The Society will continue
to use this mechanism for raising pharmacists’ concerns and will seek to
bring concerns about the risk of errors to the attention of the relevant authorities.
The Society continues to encourage pharmacists to contact manufacturers directly
about problems with specific products and would welcome details of evidence
on the impact of pack design on safety and compliance.
The Council also recognises the concerns of pharmacists in relation to the patient
pack initiative. These are addressed more fully below.
Dispensing in whole packs That the Council should make representations
to the relevant bodies aimed at allowing pharmacists to dispense medicines in
numbers of whole packs.
The Council is aware of the difficulties faced by pharmacists due to the lack
of any agreed way forward on the patient pack initiative.
A joint statement issued by the Society, the National Pharmaceutical Association
and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee in late 1998 (PJ, December
19/26, 1998, p960) recognised that there would be occasions when a pharmacist
might be unable to supply an approved label and patient information leaflet
to comply with the Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations Etc) Regulations
1994 when a medicine is dispensed and advised pharmacists to supply packs bearing
the manufacturer’s label and the pharmacy label, accompanied by the approved
patient information leaflet, ‘whenever it is reasonably possible’.
The Society’s Professional Standards Directorate has also made available
a fact sheet covering this issue.
The Society and other pharmacy bodies are continuing to press government and
others for an acceptable solution to the current unsatisfactory situation. The
Society is aware that full implementation of the patient pack initiative will
not solve all the problems facing pharmacists in labelling and providing leaflets.
It is recognised that the practice of supplying part packs, with snipped blisters,
in order to comply with the restrictions requiring the exact quantity prescribed
to be supplied, cannot present a professional image, and in cases where this
also means that patient information leaflets are not available, can undermine
patient care.
Membership records That the Society improves and maintains its database
to provide up-to-date records of the composition to its membership in relation
to the nature of members’ employment.
The Society recognises the benefits of having accurate information on the composition
of its membership in relation to the nature of the members’ employment.
However, the provision of such information is given at the discretion of each
member as it is only mandatory for members to provide the information on the
statutory section of the retention fee form.
The Society is therefore unable to verify the completeness or statistical accuracy
of any such information held. The Society will continue to urge members to complete
the section requesting additional information to facilitate the targeting of
mailshots, provision of statistical data and workforce planning.
The Society recognises the intrinsic value of accurate and meaningful information
about its membership for a wide range of valid purposes. The Society is in consultation
with relevant stakeholders to enhance the use of its membership data for research,
workforce planning and educational purposes. Once the required information has
been defined the process of collection will be considered in time for the 2002
retention fee circulation.
Review of public relations activity That the public relations activity
of the Society should be assessed for performance and activity by an outside
consultant body. Any suggestions made by the outside body should be considered
and acted upon if deemed advisable as a priority expedient, within the budget
allocated.
External consultancy and audit can be useful tools for supporting a public relations
programme. Under present financial circumstances, there are no plans for such
an exercise within the Public Affairs Directorate budget.
The public relations team comprises three people and achieves considerable output
for expenditure. An independent audit would no doubt conclude that more PR human
resources would allow for more activity and output.
As part of its media strategy, the public relations unit actively promotes the
role of pharmacists in health care, leading to a good level of regular coverage
in the tabloid health pages and on network television health programmes.
In addition, the PR team has developed strong contacts with national health
correspondents, resulting in national debate on such wider issues as emergency
hormonal contraception, herbal medicine and the medicinal use of cannabis.
Where appropriate, the unit involves the branch public relations officers (BPROs)
network and regional communications officers as additional, effective resources
to help promote key messages at a local level as evidenced by the “Slips,
trips and broken hips” campaign in June. One of the priorities of the public
relations unit for 2000 is to strengthen the BPRO network through planned and
targeted support.
Recognising branch service That the Council considers some form of recognition
to be given in the millennium to those members of the Society’s local branches
who have given dedicated service over many years.
The Society’s President currently recognises long service for members who
have been on the register for 50, 60 and 70 years. Branches will now be able
to request a letter from the President to say thank you for outstanding service.
If a branch wishes to recognise in other ways the contribution of other long
serving individual members, they can deploy branch funds to do so.
Review of branch network That Council in consultation with the membership
should review the structure, role, operations and functions of the local branch
network.
The Public Affairs Directorate has a remit to improve services to members. The
Society’s new membership team, with the support of members of Council Mr
Alan Nathan and Dr Nicola Gray, is leading a review of the role of the branch
network and its administration. An initial focus meeting was held in August
to gather views and opinions of branch committee members from around Britain
as to how the network could develop in future. The report from this meeting
was circulated at the branch secretaries’ meeting on October 11. The review
will involve wider consultation with the branches and regions. The membership
team is exploring how to promote the debate at local level.
Branch boundary review That the Council review the branch boundary lines.
Boundaries of branches will be examined at a later stage as part of the review
of the branch network and administration currently being undertaken by the membership
team, supported by members of Council Mr Alan Nathan and Dr Nicola Gray.
British Pharmaceutical Conference That to facilitate the success of British
Pharmaceutical Conference in the future there should be a closer relationship
between the host branch and the Society.
The Council supports the resolution and is keen for the Society to work closely
with the branch in whose location the British Pharmaceutical Conference is held.
Although the BPC is now organised centrally, there are opportunities for members
of the local branch to assist in stewarding and providing information about
local facilities to conference attendees.
The Society has worked with the local branch in respect to the BPC in Birmingham
in 2000 and had already made contact with the Glasgow and West of Scotland branch
regarding the BPC in 2001.
Details of local preregistration trainees That the Society provides branches
with the names and addresses of preregistration graduates resident within the
branch boundaries together with their training placement and tutors.
The Society’s Council supports the resolution and the education division
will endeavour to implement it using the new Concept IT system.
Applications for preregistration placements That the Royal Pharmaceutical
Society introduce a scheme which co-ordinates the applications for preregistration
graduate posts in the same manner as the Universities and Colleges Admissions
Service operates for university placements.
The Society’s Council will keep this matter under review. At present it
is concious of the fact that it appears to be the case that not all major employers
of preregistration trainees would join, feeling unable fully to observe the
necessary requirements of such a scheme. It may also be that some students would
prefer to seek employment independently and directly. These realities of the
labour market render the suggested scheme not feasible at present.
The Council still supports and sees value in the Society’s voluntary code
on best practice for employers and students for preregistration recruitment.
Registration examination pass list That it is the opinion of the meeting
that the names of successful candidates from the Society’s registration
exam should be published in at least one national broadsheet newspaper.
The cost implications of this would be in the region of £5,000. Inquiries
have shown that the option of having a free listing is dependent on advertising
being placed. The cost of such advertising is likely to be in the region of
£20,000. The matter will be considered as part of the budget-setting for
membership services for 2001.
Registration fee for new members That the Society waives the registration fee
for newly qualified pharmacists until their first full year of registration.
The Council has deferred considering a proposal for new fee structures for pharmacy
students and newly qualified pharmacists in view of current budgetary constraints.
Encouraging the provision of preregistration places That the Society
should actively encourage pharmacy practitioners to provide more preregistration
training places.
The Education Committee decided not to dismiss the resolution on the basis of
the recent past experience of more preregistration places being available than
pharmacy graduates or sandwich degree course students to fill them. Instead,
the committee has resolved to produce an article in the next edition of Preregistration
Bulletin and for The Pharmaceutical Journal “selling” the benefits
of involvement as a preregistration tutor and reassuring existing or potential
tutors as to the “manageability” for them of the further reforms of
preregistration training. In addition, the committee has decided to write to
appropriate senior persons in the major preregistration employing organisations
urging them to be as supportive as possible of members of their staffs who are
existing or potential tutors.
BPSA office That the Society should establish a permanent office for
BPSA based at Society headquarters.
The Council has agreed to contact the BPSA to invite it to define objectives
for a permanent BPSA office. The matter was to be discussed at the Society liaison
meeting with the BPSA executive arranged for October 18.
Response to BRM resolutions That Council’s response to motions carried
at a branch representatives’ meeting should be published before the following
branch secretaries’ meeting, at which time will be allowed for feedback
and discussion, and that Council provides periodic progress reports to the branch
which proposed a particular motion.
The membership team has revised the timetable for producing the report of the
Council on resolutions passed at the branch representatives’ meeting. Starting
in 2000, the report will be published and distributed to the branches at the
beginning of October each year, following the Council meeting and before the
branch secretaries’ meeting.
Election canvassing That the Council should reconsider the restrictions
on canvassing by candidates in Council elections, including the use of the internet.
In considering this resolution, the Council noted that a number of issues had
arisen in the course of the Council elections. Council members have been invited
to submit comments and these, together with comments from others, will be taken
into account in preparing a brief paper with recommendations for consideration
by the Council at a future meeting.