Support for closer working with GPs to manage long-term conditions
Support for pharmacists wishing to contribute to the care of patients with long-term conditions comes in a document launched at the British
Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester this week.
Presented by David Colin-Thomé, national clinical director for
primary care in England, “Long-term conditions: integrating community
pharmacy’s contribution” is designed to give practical advice
to pharmacists and commissioners of care on how pharmacists might work
more closely with GPs.
The document, which was commissioned by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
from Alison Blenkinsopp, of Keele University, and Gianpiero Celino, director
of Webstar Health, concentrates on the management of patients with asthma,
diabetes and coronary heart disease, although it acknowledges that the
lessons probably apply to other long-term conditions.
They examined the evidence, both in the UK and abroad, that has demonstrated
the impact pharmacists can make on patient care. Dr Colin-Thomé said: “Successful
management of long-term conditions is a key focus for the NHS, and the
Department of Health is keen to give pharmacists a role in this.”
Dr Colin-Thomé also described the five steps that need to be taken
to bring about full engagement of pharmacy services. Step 1
involves the finding of cases, through monitoring, education, clinical
medication review to step 5, the management of therapy and prescribing.
According to Dr Colin-Thomé, although there are examples of good
practice, few services have been commissioned so far and spreading the
word about good practice is poor. He reported that only 1 per cent of
community pharmacies are commissioned to provide disease-specific medicines
management.
However, Dr Colin-Thomé emphasised that much can be done to improve
the involvement of pharmacy at a local level in discussions on practice-based
commissioning. Pharmacists also have to learn to market themselves to
raise awareness of what they can do based on the evidence. “Community
pharmacists are even more popular with the general public than GPs — and
you should build on that,” he said. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
Acrobat
Reader