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A forward-looking vision for pharmacy

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A forward-looking vision for pharmacy

PSNC and Pharmacy Voice have published the Community Pharmacy Forward View. Aimed at those working in community pharmacy and at policy makers, commissioners and local system leaders, this calls for a strategic partnership approach between the sector, government and the NHS.

The document, which has been developed with the support of the RPS, sets out a vision of how the sector can enhance and expand its care, support and wellbeing services portfolio and fully integrate with local health and care providers, resulting in improved health outcomes and patient access and helping deliver efficiencies within the NHS.

The Community Pharmacy Forward View focuses on three key roles for the sector in the future:

1. As the facilitator of personalised care for people with long-term conditions 
2. As the trusted, convenient first port of call for episodic healthcare advice and treatment
3. As the neighbourhood health and wellbeing hub.

Having set out its vision for the future, the community pharmacy sector now invites the views of key stakeholders – including patient groups, pharmacy local commissioners, other healthcare providers and government – to see how this vision can be implemented.

Alastair Buxton, director of NHS Services at PSNC, commented that health and care services need community pharmacy to play a part in looking after the nation’s health, adding that “we hope that the Department of Health, NHS England and local service commissioners will positively engage with us to explore how this vision can inform the future commissioning of community pharmacy services".

Pharmacy Voice’s chief executive Rob Darracott said that while the Forward View “may appear ambitious… all of the proposals are based on innovative work of community pharmacy teams across the country, which is happening right now.

"We want this best practice to become commonplace across the pharmacy network and we are committed to working with colleagues, partners and our stakeholders make this happen, starting with an achievable, aspirational and collective vision of the future.”

Celesio UK managing director Cormac Tobin said: “We welcome today’s publication of the Community Pharmacy Forward View, a culmination of dedicated, collaborative working across the community pharmacy sector.

“We will do all we can to support our colleagues, the sector and its leaders as this work continues to develop, and we hope that the government and the new minister work with us to turn this into a reality ”.

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