Findings Of The National Pharmacy Association's Health Inequalities Summit Submitted To 'Marmot Review', England

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 18 Aug 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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The NPA has submitted findings from its Health Inequalities Summit held in June to the Strategic Review of Health Inequalities in England post 2010 consultation ('Marmot Review').

The main aims of the Health Inequalities Summit were:

- To highlight the contribution and potential contribution of community pharmacy to addressing health inequalities
- To share good practice in maximising the contribution of community pharmacy
- To springboard alignment of stakeholder expectations in respect of pharmacy's public health role.

Department of Health statistics show that 96% of the population - even those in the most deprived areas - can get to a pharmacy within 20 minutes by walking or using public transport. Community pharmacies around the UK are already offering smoking cessation, weight management and cardio-vascular risk assessment, amongst other health promoting services. In Tower Hamlets, the London borough hosting the summit, the pharmacy smoking cessation service has delivered 44% of the area's quitters.

Stephen Fishwick, NPA Head of External Relations said:

"Pharmacy can be at the spearhead of reducing health inequalities. Increased public investment in the community pharmacy network would mark a shift to more equitable health provision by bringing a wider range of NHS services into the heart of neighbourhood communities where they are within easy reach of the people who need them most."

A YOUTUBE clip of The Health Inequalities Summit can be viewed at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKmUhg1WnDs

The Marmot Review

The aim of the Review is to propose an evidence based strategy for reducing health inequalities from 2010. The strategy will include policies and interventions that address the social determinants of health inequalities.

The Review has four tasks:

(i) identify, for the health inequalities challenge facing England, the evidence most relevant to underpinning future policy and action
(ii) show how this evidence could be translated into practice
(iii) advise on possible objectives and measures, building on the experience of the current PSA target on infant mortality and life expectancy
(iv) publish a report of the review's work that will contribute to the development of a post-2010 health inequalities strategy

Source
National Pharmacy Association

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