Conference programme
9.30am Registration and coffee
10am
Welcome — Olivia Timbs, editor,
The Pharmaceutical Journal
10.15am
Keynote address: The future of the high street — Andrew
Simms, policy director, New Economics Foundation and author of ‘Ghost
Town Britain’
10.45am
Prescribing — a new role for pharmacists — Felicity
Davies, a community pharmacist in West Sussex who is attending the
King’s College supplementary prescribing course
11.05am
New contract — Sue Sharpe,
chief executive, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee
11.25am Coffee and exhibition
Noon
Workforce planning — Karen Hassell,
NHS career scientist/research fellow, school of pharmacy, University
of Manchester
12.20pm Questions and answers
12.30pm Lunch and exhibition
2pm
Refitting premises — Peter
Marshall, community pharmacist and deputy chairman of Numark
2.20pm
Implementing medicines support services — Andrew
Hartley of Tindales Chemist Ltd, for GlaxoSmithKline
2.40pm Questions and answers
3pm Chairman’s summing up
For further information contact
Lyn McCulloch on 020 7572 2414
e-mail lyn.mcculloch@pharmj.org.uk |
The theme of the first community pharmacy conference organised by The
Pharmaceutical Journal is “Securing the future”. And the
future of community pharmacy is exciting, according to Alistair Marsh,
general manager, Pharmacy Alliance. “However the profession has
to move quickly if it is to capture the opportunities presented by the
proposed new contracts and government health strategy documents,” he
added. “That is why our focus is on evidence-based, patient-centred
health improvement programmes, delivered through community pharmacies
in collaboration with health care professionals, to meet local needs,” Mr
Marsh told The Journal. Information about the support that Pharmacy Alliance
provides will be available at the exhibition.
Visitors to the Pharmaceutical Press stand will be able to browse a complete
range of titles, including new editions of ‘Diabetes in focus’, ‘MCQs
in pharmacy practice’ and ‘Transdermal and topical drug delivery’.
All book orders placed at the conference will benefit from a 20 per cent
discount. Simon Boisseau, marketing manager of the Pharmaceutical Press
told The Journal: “We try to publish at the cutting edge
of science and practice”. Future Pharmaceutical Press titles will
include ‘Travel
medicines for health professionals’ and ‘Pharmaceutical compounding and
dispensing’.
According to John White, pharmacist and managing director of Healthpoint
Technologies, the future role of the pharmacist lies in counselling and
advising. “Traditional markets are disappearing — we need
to specialise in health care information,” he told The Journal.
With this aim, Mr White’s company provides community pharmacies
with a touchscreen information system that can be used by pharmacists,
health care assistants and pharmacy customers. Originating in Australia,
the system has taken 15 years to develop and provides users with access
to 3,400 health topics. There are also over 70 educational films. For
example, a film can be used to demonstrate how to use a spacer device
or to show what happens in a colonoscopy.
The main menu of the Healthpoint information
system
|
Another feature of the Healthpoint system is that information can be
printed out. “Information can be presented in a much more professional
way compared with an untidy leaflet stand with a limited range of leaflets,” Mr
White said. These information sheets can also be personalised with the
pharmacy’s contact details and opening times.
With a touch of the screen, information on patient support groups, advice
on diet and natural therapies, prompts to recommend a particular vitamin
or mineral supplement and health care staff training is available. The
system is already in use in several community pharmacies in the United
Kingdom, an NHS hospital and a young offenders’ institute. Visitors
to the Healthpoint stand at the exhibition will have the opportunity
see how the system works for themselves.
Also exhibiting are:
• ASA Medical, recruitment specialists
in medical information, pharmaco-vigilance, regulatory and medical
affairs in the pharmaceutical industry
• The British Institute of Homoeopathy, a provider of diploma courses
in homoeopathic pharmacy, a basic course for technicians and counter
staff, and courses in herbal medicine and Bach flower therapy
• Durbin Plc, suppliers of medicines and medical equipment to 140
countries and specialists in solving UK supply shortage and product
discontinuation problems
• Eldon Laboratories, a specials manufacturer
• Howard Foundation Research Ltd, established to promote research
into obesity
• Jenrick Medical, an agency specialising in international placements
and recruitment
• Orridge Business Sales Ltd, specialists in pharmacy business
sales
• The Poppitt Company Ltd, suppliers of professional dispensing
aids
• Sintek Ltd, designers, manufacturers and installers of pharmacy
storage and workstation furnishings |
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has already outlined its plans for
pharmacists’ continuing
professional development but, with the impending registration of qualified
technicians, in the future, evidence of CPD is also likely to be required
of these technicians, Vanessa Kingsbury, director of Buttercups Training
Ltd, says. As well as having the opportunity to discuss all the courses
that Buttercups offers (eg, NVQ levels II and III in pharmacy services
as well as continuing education modules for pharmacists), visitors to
the Buttercups stand at the exhibition will be able to learn about the
new Buttercups association for technicians. This organisation will deliver
correspondence courses and study days for qualified technicians, which,
Ms Kingsbury says, fills a gap in the market.
The conference is being sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline. A spokesman for
GSK told The Journal that, from the feedback GSK has had, the company
knows that pharmacists want to have an enhanced role in consulting patients
about their treatment options. This has been recognised in the upcoming
pharmacy contract, where pharmacists will be asked to take on a greater
role in the NHS. To this end, GSK developed +Plus, which offers pharmacists
free support to take on enhanced roles and optimise patient care, while
focusing on their business. Through +Plus, pharmacists can take advantage
of the expertise GSK has in areas such as diabetes, depression and smoking
cessation. It also provides pharmacies with material and resources for
in-pharmacy HbA1c and blood glucose testing, carbon monoxide monitoring
for patients on nicotine replacement therapy and practical guidance on
issues surrounding medicines management. Furthermore, pharmacists are
offered additional discounts on products ordered from their +Plus account
manager. Delegates who wish to find out more about +Plus are invited
to visit the GSK stand.
Delegate bags will be provided courtesy of Moss Pharmacy. |
What you should not miss at the Community Pharmacy conference