Mike Smith puts the world to rights…

There have been some encouraging signs for pharmacy recently, which I am heartened to read, although being the cynical old pharmacist that I am, I have my usual reservations.

The announcement of the flu vaccination advanced service is great news, and a confirmation that the efforts of pharmacists who, last year, demonstrated that we are more than able to provide this service has at last been recognised. However, it is disappointing that there won’t be an electronic system for payment, and we are expected to use a paper-based system – this in 2015! Patients will welcome the service, as I remember patients in the USA doing at Walgreens, where there were queues of people lining up to get their flu vaccination.

It is not surprising that there has been some opposition from the GP sector, and even some pharmacists have expressed concern that we may be invading their territory. I dismiss this. Surely it is in the interest of everyone that the general public’s health improves from increasing vaccination rates.

It’s also great news that pharmacists will now be able to access summary care records – so necessary as the role of pharmacy in medicines management becomes more important. Unsurprisingly, the press then flagged the danger that this may present to patient confidentiality. We have a duty to ensure that these concerns are completely unfounded.

My own experience is that the security of information held in pharmacies is far better than that held in many other areas. I was interested in an interview on the national news with rural GPs, who stated that their practices may face closure due to lack of funding. One statement leapt out at me – “patients are unsure where they should go – GP surgery, pharmacy, drop-in centre or A&E”.

This suggests to me that the limited PR campaign launched by the Department of Health (DH) last year in the face of winter pressures may have missed the target. It also seems ironic that, when rural practices are under pressure, the essential payment to rural pharmacies will be lost. I applaud the PSNC’s recently launched 5 Point Forward Plan for community pharmacy:

1. Easier access to urgent medicines – will save wasted time and resource.
2. Patients to use pharmacy as the first port of call.
3. Care for frail and older people – maintain patients in the community.
4. Support for patients to manage long term conditions more effectively.
5. Identify patients with undiagnosed respiratory disease.

These are a win-win for patients, pharmacists, GPs and the NHS overall and should be commissioned without delay. We, at last, have the flu vaccination service but think how long this has taken – progress is too slow. Pharmacists are able to deliver these services now (and in many cases already do in an informal way).

However, I would add one more to the list – the obvious need for a nationally commissioned minor ailments service. It works in Scotland, and I cannot understand the reluctance of the DH to introduce this nationwide without delay. I love these statistics published by the PSNC, and make no apology for repeating them here:

• 57 million consultations per year (cost £2 billion) are for patients with symptoms that pharmacists could treat. ô€€€
• 96 per cent of the population can reach a pharmacy within 20 minutes by walking or using public transport. ô€€€
• 84 per cent of adults visit a pharmacy every year. ô€€€
• £264 million could be saved annually by early diagnosis of COPD patients. ô€€€
• Hospital admissions reduced by 50 per cent due to a pharmacy inhaler technique scheme.

We should use these statistics at every opportunity to reinforce what a huge role community pharmacy can, and will, continue to play in improving health and wellbeing outcomes. I close with three caveats:

1. The services we provide must be flawless.
2. The additional investment required by pharmacists to deliver these services must be recognised. I spoke to a pharmacist recently who calculates that his net profit is only 2 per cent following such investment.
3. PR for pharmacy must improve. We have shown what we can do, so let’s shout about it.

Mike Smith is chairman of Alliance Healthcare, mike.h.smith@alliance-healthcare.co.uk