Primary Care Pharmacy June 2000 Vol 1 No 3 p64
Leading article
Tackling cardiovascular disease
For many pharmacists working at all levels of primary care, the last six months have seen major changes, resulting in adjustments to the priorities that we started with back in April, 1999. Generic prescribing costs wiped out the savings many had hoped to make by eliminating waste from the drugs budget. This was money that could have been released and diverted into improving quality and implementing major guidelines, particularly in cardiovascular disease.
At my own local health care cooperative (LHCC), we are starting our new financial year still having to address the financial situation but also planning to revisit our original agenda to improve quality of care. For many of us, the quality agenda will be driven by national priorities.
This issue of Primary Care Pharmacy focuses largely on a major priority for the whole of the UK - the national service framework on cardiovascular disease. This was published in March, 2000, in England and Wales. In Scotland, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines for primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease, cardiac failure and, in June, angina management, give high priority to the same diseases in Scotland. The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland are also targeting coronary heart disease. In this issue, we take a look at patients' perspectives and how they perceive the role of the pharmacist in reducing misinformation and helping them to manage their medication more effectively.
Continuing professional development
The publication of core competencies for primary care pharmacists by the National Health Service Executive and the National Prescribing Centre will require pharmacists who are either already working, or wish to work, in the primary care environment to assess their skills and knowledge with a view to addressing any gaps. Additionally, a joint report by Aston and Keele universities has highlighted the skills required by pharmacists who are working with primary care groups (p89). So, in response to your requests, I invited schools of pharmacy to provide information on the postgraduate courses available for pharmacists wishing to specialise in the primary care environment. There are many good quality courses now available and I hope our summary of those who responded will help pharmacists interested in further study to find the right one for them.