Primary Care Pharmacy June 2000 Vol 1 No 3 p90

News

Pharmacists making progress in PCGs

Primary care groups (PCGs) should increase the role of pharmacists in prescribing. This was one of the findings of "Progress and Challenges 1999-2000", a survey published on May 15, that was conducted by the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre in collaboration with the King's Fund. It tracked the progress of 72 English PCGs during their first six months of full operation.
Overall, the survey found that PCGs had made considerable progress towards meeting the Government's agenda of modernising the NHS but that some areas needed further investment and action.
Pharmacists were providing prescribing support to the majority (87 per cent) of primary care groups and were well represented on both district and PCG prescribing committees. Top priorities for primary care investment included prescribing support and clinical governance.
The number of PCGs either consulting or planning to consult community pharmacists regarding formulary development and repeat prescribing schemes was 62 per cent and 59 per cent, respectively. Other areas where pharmacists were to be consulted included management of minor ailments, chronic disease management and health promotion.
Only 21 per cent of the PCGs surveyed had consulted community pharmacists about clinical governance. In addition, of the 29 PCGs who either provided or intended to provide education and training to health care professionals, 15 planned to use community pharmacists. The full report can be found at http://www.npcrdc.man.ac.uk/Pages/Research/PCG.htm, the website of the NPCRDC.