Pharmacy In England White Paper One Year On - NPA Calls For Early Wins

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 11 Apr 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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On the anniversary of publication of the Pharmacy in England White Paper, John Turk, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association comments:

"Many of the 150-plus commitments made in the Pharmacy in England White Paper a year ago are being progressed, but this is an ambitious change programme and there is a long way to go until the full benefits are realised.

"Necessarily, much of the work has so far been preparatory - taking shape in offices, but not yet visible from the high street. For instance, the recent publication of the How to Commission Pharmaceutical Services guide is a significant advance, but the impact will not be immediate.

"There is now an urgent need to demonstrate tangible progress to owners and practitioners on the pharmacy front line. Pharmacists currently face a daunting array of overlapping pressures - concerning the medicines supply chain, funding, regulation and changes to the primary care estate. For many NPA members, their day to day realities seem very far removed from the White Paper's vision of pharmacy in the 'service era'. And if contractors lose faith in the vision - a vision which NPA wholeheartedly endorses - it will never be realized.

"NPA members need swift reassurance that they will be supported to step into a sustainable future at the heart of the NHS. Three commitments from the Department of Health would fit the bill: an immediate moratorium on 100hr applications, assurances on the level of investment in Directed Enhanced Services and a guarantee of pharmacy leadership within PCTs. These would be early wins, not quick fixes.

"Community pharmacy must establish a secure foothold in the primary care market before the mood music set by the White Paper trails off.

"Stability, investment, leadership and urgency must be the watchwords one year on."

Source
National Pharmacy Association

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