Minister for health addresses Welsh Executive annual dinner
Brian Gibbons,
minister for health and social services for Wales |
The minister for health and social services for Wales, Brian Gibbons (pictured), was the guest speaker at the annual dinner of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Welsh Executive.
Dr Gibbons said that the publication of the Welsh Assembly Government’s
health strategy “Designed for life” in May presents the NHS
in Wales with the opportunity to deliver the vision outlined in “Improving
health in Wales” in an innovative yet structured way. “It
provides professions, such as the pharmaceutical profession, with the
opportunity to think the unthinkable and to develop in new directions,” he
said.
Dr Gibbons added: “We plan to revisit ‘Remedies for success’ — the
strategy for pharmacy in Wales — with a view to enabling the profession
to maximise these opportunities. I hope the pharmaceutical profession
will join with us in creating a world-class health service for people
in Wales.”
Peter Jones, chairman of the Welsh Executive, talked about the part pharmacy
is already playing and will continue to play in helping to implement
the “Designed for life” health strtegy.
He stated: “We must ensure we have a truly multidisciplinary team
approach of treating the patient in the right place at the right time,
and by the right professional and, essentially, supported by technology.”
He added: “The most expensive medicine prescribed is the one not
used or used incorrectly. Pharmacists in hospitals are already managing
the medicines-related care of patients with chronic conditions — as
a key component of the clinical team, through pharmacist-led clinics
and through the admission and discharge processes. We need to evolve
this practice into primary care.”
Over 60 representatives from across the health sector in Wales were present
at the dinner, which took place in Cardiff on 20 October.
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal