Hospital Pharmacist
2008;15:157
May 2008

News summary

Profession must work together to deliver White Paper goals

Support from the whole profession is needed to turn the proposals in the latest pharmacy White Paper into reality, according to Richard Cattell, president of the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists.

“Pharmacy in England — building on strengths, delivering the future”, published last month, sets out the Government’s view for pharmacy in England, including a widely available minor ailments scheme and healthy living centres to complement the work of GPs.

Although much of the White Paper focuses on community pharmacy, it calls for more joint working between hospital and community pharmacists.

It says that in order to deliver clinical expertise in the location where care is delivered, hospital pharmacists may need to practise closer to people’s homes, or support others to undertake this role. This will help create new “health community clinical pharmacy teams”.

The paper says: “These ‘virtual’ teams will build clinical networks to provide an infrastructure for hospital and community pharmacists, primary care pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and, potentially, other healthcare professionals to oversee and monitor medicines usage and effectiveness.”

The White Paper emphasises the need for community pharmacists to use their clinical skills. Mr Cattell commented: “It would be useful for community pharmacists to have more of the skills that have traditionally been the strength of hospital pharmacists. This will require good pharmaceutical leadership. The proposal for the appointment of national clinical directors of pharmacy will help push this forward and ensure that best practice is shared.”

Mr Cattell added that other key elements of the White Paper wholly supported by the guild include:

• Securing the role of chief pharmacist as the guardian of medicines safety within organisations

• Exploring new models of developing qualified pharmacists

• Ensuring that those commissioning pharmacy services are competent to do so