The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain`s English
Pharmacy Board meeting, on 18 July, identified a number of significant areas of work for the Board over the coming months. The key issues that will be addressed are: concerns raised by the recent All Party Pharmacy Group (APPG) report, The future of pharmacy; local lobbying of MPs and accreditation across England.
Foremost on the Board`s agenda, is addressing the barriers restricting pharmacy as outlined in the recent APPG report. The report raised concerns already identified by the Board, who have pledged to take action to:
-- Increase the level of collaboration between healthcare professions
-- Improve engagement between Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and community pharmacy
-- Promote stronger working relationships and collaboration between pharmacy bodies
-- Strengthen local leadership
-- Push for integrated IT systems
Immediate actions on this project include: holding meetings with the Department of
Health (DH) and organisations that represent GPs, to promote collaborative working across professions, and promoting the Society`s Leading Across Boundaries initiative to develop the leadership potential of pharmacists across the public and private sectors.
Local lobbying of MPs throughout the summer recess was also agreed as a key area of work the Board would undertake. A coordinated approach will create a ground swell of local lobbying in order to address some of the issues facing pharmacy today. Board members will also target local authorities and councillors and will address issues of collaboration and engagement as raised in the APPG report.
Enhanced services accreditation across England was identified as another key objective of the Board. Pharmacists accredited to provide an enhanced service in one PCT may not have this accreditation recognised in a neighbouring PCT. This is being addressed in the North West and the Board would like to see this approach rolled out across England. Board member and Chair of the Harmonisation Accreditation Group (HAG), North West, Gail Thomas, will produce a full report on the issue. The report will then aid the Board in promoting the matter.
Paul Bennett, Chair of the English Pharmacy Board, said: "The recent publication of the APPG report has spurred us to action over a number of areas to which we will dedicate our attention over the coming months. Collaboration and leadership are two areas that the Board has always seen as priority and will work toward achieving. The Board is extremely positive about the projects that we have committed to take forward."
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
