Since 1961, it has been customary for the leading article in The Journal’s Christmas issue to review the events of the previous year. This year, we have looked back not only at the year 2000 but also at 40 years of annual reviews. Here are the first sentences of some early reviews: "Pharmacists can look back on the past year with little real satisfaction"(1961); "The past year has been one of more than average difficulty for all pharmacists in Great Britain . . ."(1962); "Numerous pharmaceutical questions outstanding in December, 1962, remain unanswered as 1963 draws to its close"(1963). And here is last year’s first sentence: "The year ends as it began: waiting for an announcement from the Government on a new strategy for pharmacy."
Get the picture? For 40 years, we have reminded our readers of the difficulties and disappointments they have experienced in the previous 12 months. But this year is different. This is the year in which all the things that pharmacy has been asking for are at last beginning to happen. The Government’s pharmacy plan has pointed the way forward for the profession in England, and we can look forward to similar expressions of confidence from the devolved administrations in Scotland and in Wales.
This year also saw pharmacy gain valuable support in the Parliamentary arena from the new All-Party Pharmacy Group. It saw the recruitment at last of a new chief pharmaceutical officer for England. It saw new legislation allowing the introduction of patient group directions, and recognising the importance of pharmacists in PGD development and implementation. It saw a Medicines Act amendment that will allow pharmacists to supply emergency hormonal contraception as a pharmacy medicine, as an alternative to its supply as a prescription medicine through PGDs.
Of course, we do not claim that everything has been rosy for pharmacy in 2000. There are, for example, still severe problems with staff recruitment and retention in hospital pharmacy, and community pharmacy still has the threat to resale price maintenance on medicines hanging over it. Even the pharmacy plan itself has some features that give cause for concern in certain areas of practice. But the year’s overwhelming message is a positive one — provided pharmacists act on it. At the national level, pharmacy’s representative bodies are working hard to ensure that the profession centrally makes the most of the opportunities offered. But, equally importantly, pharmacists in practice must take up the challenge locally, working with pharmacy development groups and local NHS bodies to ensure that pharmacy plays a major role in the future provision of health care. Our advice to pharmacists for 2001 is therefore a simple one: get stuck in. And have a happy new year!