The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7259 p106
26 July 2003

This article
Reprint
Photocopy

News summary

Related websites
DoH: "A Vision for Pharmacy in the New NHS" (more)

New strategy document for pharmacy in England published by Government

What community pharmacy could look like in the future is set out in a new strategy document published by the Government on 17 July.

"A vision for pharmacy in the new NHS" largely focuses on community pharmacy, but one chapter of the document is devoted to hospital pharmacy. It reviews progress to date on "Pharmacy in the future" and proposes where pharmacy in England should be heading next.

"More than ever, the last three years have demonstrated the unique and valuable contribution that pharmacy makes to patient care. We believe pharmacy's full potential is only now beginning to be realised," the document states.

Launching the strategy, Rosie Winterton, health minister with responsibility for pharmacy, said: "Community pharmacists are highly valued by patients and the public because of the professional help and advice they give on health and medicines.

"Pharmacy has even greater potential as a fully integrated part of the NHS and there is scope for making even greater progress in improving the accessibility and range of pharmacy services in the community."

Exactly what pharmacists should be able to offer in the future is set out by Dr Jim Smith, chief pharmaceutical officer for England, who describes 10 key roles for pharmacy. These include providing access to medicines, giving advice on the safe and effective use of medicines, medicines management, preventing adverse drug reactions and medication errors, prescribing medicines, a role in public health and reducing medicines wastage.

A wider role for pharmacists in public health is proposed. A framework for a pharmacy public health strategy, which will be integrated into the Government's overall approach to improving public health, will be published by 2005.

Independent prescribing is also mentioned, with the Government promising to begin discussions in early 2004 on developing a framework for independent prescribing by pharmacists.

The five areas that need to be tackled for the vision to become a reality, according to the strategy, are the way community pharmacists are paid, skill mix, information technology, a supporting infrastructure and strong professional leadership.

The strategy also describes how changes in the way that the NHS is being reformed, with movement of decision making and funding from central Government to primary care trusts, will affect pharmacy.

"'A vision for pharmacy' is an important further stage in improving pharmacy services across the NHS, building on the achievements of recent years to ensure that the NHS makes the best use of the skills of pharmacists and their staff to deliver high quality patient care," commented Dr Smith.

The strategy has been issued as a consultation and comments should be made by 17 October to Mary Grafton, Department of Health, Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS (fax 020 7210 4953, e-mail mary.grafton@doh.gsi.gov.uk).

News feature, p111