SOP report stresses benefits of closer pharmacist/GP working
Closer working between community pharmacists and GPs is key to achieving faster access to better services in primary care, according to a report
published this week by the School of Pharmacy, University of London, in partnership with Alliance Boots.
The report highlights several mechanisms that could encourage closer
working between the two professions, including alignment of financial
incentives in their respective contracts, community pharmacy access to
electronic care records, more nationally available advanced services,
and changes to undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacy education to bring
pharmacists into closer contact with other professionals.
The report emphasises that, as well as health service policies to encourage
closer working, doctors, pharmacists and nurses have a responsibility
to lead progress in positive partnerships or they risk policies being
decided by groups with inadequate insight into service users’ needs.
David Taylor, professor of pharmaceutical and public
health policy at the School of Pharmacy and co-author of the report,
commented: “Politicians,
professionals and managers should work together to overcome barriers
to more productive patterns of working, and let the public make better
use of familiar resources like high street pharmacies and GP surgeries.
“Wherever
possible NHS users should have a choice between alternative care providers,
backed by comprehensive record keeping and constructive
co-operation between pharmacists, doctors and other health professionals.”
The report calls for a “community pharmacists’ charter” similar
to the doctor’s charter, which transformed general medical practice
in the 1960s. Its aim would be to
reduce undesirable service variations and create stronger incentives
for GPs and community pharmacists to work closely
together. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
Acrobat
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