Society summary

Cancer care role for pharmacists in Scotland

The new Scottish cancer strategy (PJ, 7 July, p7) allows better use of pharmacists in the treatment and care of sufferers, according to the latest topical paper published by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in Scotland.

After describing pharmacists’ current roles in cancer care, the paper goes on to say that, as the pattern of treatment varies throughout the course of cancer care, patients need access to services that give the required level of active, supportive or palliative care in their preferred care setting. Integrated pharmaceutical services that provide consistent standards of care must therefore be readily and easily available.

The paper adds that a national pharmaceutical working group has developed and is piloting a system for documenting the pharmaceutical care of cancer patients. If proved effective, this will be developed into a software package to enhance the quality of cancer care as patients transfer within and across health care sectors.

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