Communication essential for public health agenda
More sharing of best practice is needed to help primary care trusts implement the “choosing health” agenda, according to delegates at a public health conference this week.
The delegates, many of them PCT pharmacy leads and public health directors,
called for more collaboration between the Government, health care professionals
and PCTs, and within PCTs themselves. They also suggested that multiples
should share their plans for public health campaigns with PCTs at the
beginning of each year, so that complementary campaigns can be co-ordinated.
At a national level, delegates raised concerns about duplication of effort
within organisations such as the National Pharmacy Association and the
Royal Pharmaceutical Society. For example, different groups putting together
separate toolkits covering the same issues. Delegates also called for
better liaison between the groups, possibly via an organisation such
as PharmacyHealthLink.
Veronica Wray, PharmacyHealthLink communications director, said: “PharmacyHealthLink
intends to explore the idea of acting as a conduit for all the pharmacy
and public health organisations in order to further the
choosing health agenda.”
The conference was jointly organised by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society,
the Primary Care Pharmacists Association and PharmacyHealthLink.
To coincide with the conference PharmacyHealthLink published a guide
for PCT pharmacists and other staff to help them make the most of the
impact their community pharmacies can have on public health.
The guide, “Ten steps to success”, makes recommendations,
including the following:
· Tap into national agendas and select a topic area that is already
an NHS or a local
priority
· Contact other pharmacies to identify areas of common interest
· Identify, support and promote local “project champions”,
such as MPs
Commenting on the guide, Miriam Armstrong, chief executive of PharmacyHealthLink,
said: “These 10 steps to success are an easy way for
PCT staff to ensure their community pharmacies run effective public health
interventions.”
The guide can be accessed at www.pharmacyhealthlink.org.uk |
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