The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7490 p227
23 February 2008

Society summary

Welsh Pharmacy Board decides priorities for 2008

At its meeting on 7 February, the Welsh Pharmacy Board decided, in 2008, to give priority to the Welsh Assembly Government’s chronic conditions management (CCM) strategic implementation plan.

Catherine Savage, Director for Wales, updated the meeting following the CCM event held in conjunction with the Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee on 29 January. This event had brought together pharmacists from all sectors of the profession to identify opportunities and barriers for pharmacy. The board was advised that the WAG is holding regional workshops and Mrs Savage would be co-ordinating pharmacy workshops at each event.

The Welsh Directorate had produced a briefing for participants entitled “Pharmacy and integrated chronic conditions management in Wales — a summary of published evidence and practice examples”.
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At the February meeting the board considered the report “A scoping exercise to identify barriers and facilitators to delivery of the medicine use review service in community pharmacies in Wales” and its role in supporting the report’s recommendations.

The board agreed to establish a working group to develop an action plan for activity going forward, including joint working with other pharmacy bodies in Wales. It was agreed that this working group should work closely with the English Pharmacy Board.

Other matters discussed were the board’s communications and public affairs activity:

Regional awareness events Following the success of the three events held across Wales in November 2007 engaging with members on current issues relating to the pharmacy profession, the board agreed to continue to host three yearly events in place of the annual general meeting previously held in Cardiff.

Pharmacy student event The board agreed to hold an annual pharmacy student event following the success of the evening hosted by the board in November 2007. The board agreed that this was an excellent environment in which to engage with students and would liaise with both the English and the Scottish pharmacy boards in developing this event more widely.

Annual report for Wales The board agreed not to produce a separate annual report for Wales. With a quarterly newsletter and the inclusion of Wales-specific information in the Society’s annual report, producing an additional document would be unnecessary.

Tobacco Control Conference The board agreed to host a stand at the Tobacco Control Conference in April to showcase the role pharmacy can play in providing smoking cessation services.

Spring party conferences The board agreed attend the key party conferences in Wales and arrangements are under way to ensure attendance at the relevant fringe meetings and to co-ordinate informal meetings with WAG members and their researchers.