The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7417 p309
9 September 2006

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British Pharmaceutical Conference 2006

Pharmacy will have to play a more expanded role in a modernised NHS

If the NHS is to meet modern expectations then pharmacists' roles will inevitably have to expand, Andy Burnham, minister of state for delivery and quality, told participants at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester this week.

He explained that there are three key drivers, which will underpin health policy debate for some time, no matter what government is in power. They are: creating a patient-led NHS, delivering care closer to home and the need for financial rigour in the system.

“If we are to take these ideals and make them a reality in all of the communities of this country, I do not think you can come to any other conclusion than that pharmacy will have to play a more expanded role, a more integrated role as part of the health care team, a more responsible role, where the decisions of the pharmacist carry real weight and are respected across the primary health care team, and a role in which patients are having much more contact with their pharmacist than they have in the past,” he said.

He believes that redesigning services and fully using the skills of pharmacists to meet local needs — and demonstrating how this represents good value for money for the investment the NHS is making — is the only solution in terms of convincing the public that they should have confidence in the way NHS pounds are being spent on their behalf.

Turning to the Health Act, Mr Burnham said that he recognises that it has generated a lot of debate. “We are not about to embark on a reformed system that puts patients’ lives, health and welfare at risk. But if we are to free pharmacists to use their clinical skills to greater effect we recognise that we cannot continue as now.” The Health Act 2006, and the provisions that clarify the roles and responsibilities of the responsible pharmacist, will of course bring changes and new requirements, he said. He clarified that only in exceptional circumstances will the responsible pharmacist be allowed to be in charge of more than one pharmacy at any one time. “Secondly, while we recognise that the responsible pharmacist may wish to the leave the pharmacy from time to time, we see the pharmacy as his or her main place of work where he or she should spend the majority of their working day,” he said.

Regarding supervision, he said that the Government agrees with the view that there are tasks that will remain with the pharmacist alone, for example, the clinical assessment of a new prescription. “However there are also tasks that pharmacy staff can safely undertake according to their training and experience,” he added.

“I appreciate how concerned you are to know the details of our proposals, so following the information paper we published last January when we set out our broad thinking, we will be working with all stakeholders in the coming weeks to develop the detail of our proposals prior to full consultation on the draft regulations,” he said.