The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7343 p401
2 April 2005

Society summary

Scottish Executive adopts public affairs plan for influencing politicians and opinion-formers

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Scottish Executive has adopted a new public affairs plan with the aim of influencing politicians and other opinion-formers in Scotland.

At its meeting in Edinburgh on 16 March, the executive approved, subject to minor amendment, a plan prepared by its communications working group. Building on the work already under way to influence the Scottish Executive and Scottish Parliament, the new plan focuses on a limited number of specific issues. The Society will use the plan to seek changes to government policy, raise awareness about pharmacy services among politicians and opinion formers, and improve the knowledge of members of the Scottish Parliament about medicines and other pharmacy issues.

Independent prescribing The executive expressed strong support for independent prescribing by pharmacists during discussion on the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency consultation on the concept. The executive plans to feed into the Society’s Council its views on the various options set out in the discussion document.

Diabetes care Ways in which pharmacists have been able to improve the care of diabetes patients in a multidisciplinary environment were outlined to the Scottish Executive during a briefing about the development of work on diabetes. The briefing was given by Annamarie McGregor, a member of the executive and director of pharmaceutical care model schemes with the Scottish Executive Health Department.

Ethnic minorities The executive set up a working group to make recommendations on the provision of pharmaceutical care services for ethnic minorities.

Pharmacy workforce Following discussion on the Society’s response to the Department of Health consultation on “Making the best use of the pharmacy workforce”, the executive set up a working group to prepare the response to the Scottish Executive Health Department’s separate consultation on the subject.

ABPI code of practice Members of the executive agreed to submit written views to help the Society in Scotland to prepare a submission to a review of the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry code of practice. The executive heard that the ABPI’s Scottish office was seeking the views of external stakeholders on what reforms may be required to the code.

Next meeting The next meeting of the Scottish Executive takes place on Monday 6 June at 12.30pm.