National Pharmacy Association raises MUR concerns with minister
Health minister Jane Kennedy, whose portfolio includes pharmacy, met representatives of the National Pharmacy Association last week to discuss current issues and problems in pharmacy.
She was told that a possible solution to the difficulty community pharmacists
are currently experiencing in finding enough patients to meet the annual
target of 250 medicines use reviews would be to encourage GP referrals
to pharmacies through their quality and outcomes framework.
Community pharmacies were put to her as suitable places to provide the
health MOTs that had been proposed by Secretary of State for Health Patricia
Hewitt. She was told that pharmacies could identify large numbers of
people who might need ongoing support.
Among other matters, NPA representatives also pressed for pharmacists
to be included on primary care trust professional executive committees
and for the problems that pharmacists are experiencing obtaining the
smartcards that are necessary for access to the Electronic Prescription
Service to be resolved.
NPA chairman Raj Patel said: “The minister took on board our concerns.
We have now established a productive relationship with her and I look
forward to this developing over time.” |
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