NHS cancer strategy includes role for pharmacists
Cancer 2012 Visions
As part of the work on the Cancer Reform Strategy,
clinicians and patient representatives have produced a “Cancer
2012 Visions” series.
The visions set out where cancer services should be in five years
and put forward a number of expanded roles for pharmacists in raising
awareness and increasing detection of cancer.
These include touch-screen
systems allowing people to assess the level of risk of bowel cancer
associated with symptoms they have, as well as pharmacists offering
advice on prostate health issues and providing mouth checks for
ulcers, as part of a mouth cancer screening programme.
Although
the visions
do not represent official policy, the Government suggests that
commissioners and service providers might find them useful as
a benchmark as services
are developed. |
Pharmacists are to have an expanded role in spotting cancer early following the launch of the Government’s Cancer
Reform Strategy this week.
The strategy builds on the NHS Cancer Plan, published in 2000, and will
be supported by £370m of funding by 2010.
It sets out a series
of developments for cancer care in England around prevention and improved
access to treatment, including the establishment of a National Awareness
and Early Diagnosis Initiative.
Pharmacists will be involved in the development
of the initiative, which will co-ordinate local activity to increase
symptom awareness and encourage earlier presentation.
Pharmacists are already helping to increase awareness of signs of cancer,
the strategy points out. “The role that pharmacists have played
in helping promote awareness of the signs and symptoms of lung cancer,
and in encouraging people with a persistent cough to visit their GP,
provides an excellent example of the enhanced contribution that can be
made,” it says.
The document also highlights the benefits of pharmacy smoking cessation
services, recommending wider provision of nicotine replacement therapy,
either by voucher schemes or through patient group directions.
The strategy argues that care should be delivered locally wherever possible
and it sets out expanded roles for GPs in cancer care. Geoff
Saunders,
chairman of the British Oncology Pharmacy Association, believes that
this will mean that patients with cancer see community pharmacists more
often as part of their treatment journey.
BOPA is looking at how it can best support community pharmacists as they
become more involved in the cancer agenda — from prevention and
early detection, providing support to patients undergoing their therapy
through to provision of palliative care.
“Community pharmacists may not be looking to become experts, but
they may be looking to improve their knowledge and understanding and
confidence
when dealing with cancer patients,” Mr Saunders said.
The report also describes the increases in staffing and infrastructure
needed to support improvements in radiotherapy services. Similar developments
will be needed in chemotherapy services, Mr Saunders argued.
“That is something the report could have looked at in more detail,” he
said. “The NHS National Chemotherapy Advisory Group
is currently working on a report, due for publication next spring, which
will look at how chemotherapy services need to develop in the future
and what will need to be done to support this.” |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
Acrobat
Reader