Pharmacists asked for examples of innovative practice
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health
has asked pharmacists to send her examples of innovative practice to help
her understand how the profession is responding to the challenges set
out by the Government.
Speaking at the British Pharmaceutical Conference
banquet in Glasgow on 24 September, Hazel Blears said: “It is important
for me to hear about the innovative things that pharmacists are doing,
to help me understand practice as it really is, rather than just hearing
dry Whitehall facts.”
She was aware of several examples of innovative
practice that had been developed by pharmacists who were keen to be at
the forefront of changing the way they practised, and she had visited
a number of such projects. There were undoubtedly more, and she wanted
to hear from them.
The National Health Service had been set ambitious
targets by Government strategies that were aimed at providing a consistent
level of health care throughout the United Kingdom. Pharmacists had to
want to change, otherwise the Government would not be able to give them
further opportunities.
Ms Blears said that the Government was committed
to developing pharmacy as part of the modernisation of the NHS. Recent
strategies had been backed by money and it was vital that this funding
was translated into patient-centred improvements.
“Pharmacies are uniquely placed in terms of being
accessible to patients, so why haven’t we used you more?” she asked. Pharmacies
were not intimidating to members of the public; pharmacists talked to
patients not at them. This was a big asset that the profession should
capitalise on and should be used as an example to other health care professionals
in the NHS.
Ms Blears said that it was ironic that pharmacists
often taught nurses how to prescribe but were not allowed to prescribe
themselves. Prescribing by pharmacists in the future was an exciting project
and would focus the profession on helping patients to get the most from
their medicines.
The balance of power in the NHS was to be shifted
to primary care trusts, which would also give pharmacists opportunities
to explore ways of doing things differently.
Back to Top
|
