The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7224 p698
16 November 2002

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Carpe diem!

Pharmacists can be forgiven for not being fully aware of the latest pronouncements on planning services for the National Health Service. They passed The Journal by and, if we had not been alerted by Hemant Patel, a past-president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, to the significance of the document "Improvement, expansion and reform: the next three years", the profession could have easily missed the planning boat.

Mr Patel warns local pharmaceutical committees to move swiftly to ensure that pharmacy is considered a part of the planning process. If they do not make their mark now, they will not have another chance until late 2005 because, as of next spring, three-year planning cycles will be introduced to replace the annual system.

Moreover, because pharmacy services are not explicitly mentioned in the planning document, and the profession's leaders have been told that no specific funds are earmarked for pharmacy at a local level, it is extremely important for LPCs and other interested parties to make a strong case for pharmacy services.

And if that is not enough of a burden, the planning document makes it clear the NHS is looking for value for money, year on year, with the expectation that more services will have to be provided for the same money. As Mr Patel writes: "It is more, higher quality work for the same amount of money." (See p701 and Agenda for 2002, (PDF 50K), p714.)

Increases in capacity will be as important as the development of services and, although it is hoped that staff numbers will rise to meet these challenges, as anyone who knows anything about manpower planning for medicine, nursing and pharmacy is aware, that is easier said than done.

Nevertheless there are more opportunities than threats for pharmacists in all this, if they are prepared to make their cases strongly and soon. Changes to the skill mix of those who provide traditional pharmacy services, the introduction of supplementary prescribing by pharmacists next year, as well as the development of medicines management initiatives will all meet the expectations of the Government. But these opportunities have to be seized now: it is better to be forward-thinking today than regretful tomorrow.

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